Dr. Karanja has over 36 years of experience in the public sector, both locally and internationally, in development economics, rural development and finance, agriculture and livestock development, and project formulation, management, and evaluation. He began his career as an Extension Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, later working as a Planning Officer in the same ministry. Subsequently, he joined the Coffee Research Foundation (CRF) as a Research Officer/Agricultural Economist and rose to Senior Agricultural Economist and Head of Economics Department.
Dr. Karanja joined the World Bank in 2003 as an Agricultural Economist.