Kenya

Kenyan CFOs put their gardening skills to the test when they responded to the call from the Kenyan government to participate in national tree-planting, during the unexpected special public holiday on 13 November 2023, which was dedicated to the cause.

Returning to Africa has been as much a personal journey as it has been a professional one for WPP Scangroup CFO Miriam Kaggwa, who is a chemical engineer by training, a scientist by nature and a finance leader by choice.

The transition from the private sector to the public sector is often seen as challenging, but Patrick Chonde, the acting general manager of finance at Kenya Airports Authority, believes that the gap between the sectors is narrowing. However, he does acknowledge that some differences do still exist.

Wangeci Kanjama, a long-term executive at Safaricom Group and M-Pesa Africa, is leaving the Vodacom telecommunications family to join Spiro as the Group CFO, effective November 2023.

CFO East Africa chatted with Daniel Ngumy, managing partner at Anjarwalla & Khanna, Stanbic Bank Kenya's Dennis Musau and EABL's Risper Genga Ohaga for this two-part special feature on tax in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.

Abraham Ongenge is excited by the professional and personal opportunity to redefine the banking experience in Kenya in his new role as head of Personal and Private banking (subject to regulatory approval).

It took one newspaper ad to set Stephen Karumbi, the CFO of Family Bank, on his remarkable journey from dedicated accounting student in high school to respected financial executive.

Coming from a poor rural background to becoming a regional finance director of a listed entity is no easy feat. However, this is exactly what British American Tobacco's Philemon Kipkemoi has done - and now he wants to pay it forward.

A passion for running led Rachael Gitonga, CFO at ZEP Re, to establish Miles4shillings, which raised over $10,000 for the Faraja Cancer Support Fund. In this CFO East Africa exclusive insight, Rachael explains the power of passion.

Purity Mumbe Sammy, CFO at East Africa Reinsurance, initially planned to retire from corporate life at the age of 35 and teach kindergarten. Now, at the designate age, she admits she is not quite ready to realise that dream.

What benefits the planet ultimately benefits customers and, in turn, businesses. These were the sobering thoughts delivered by Safaricom CFO Dilip Pal at the recent 78th United Nations General Assembly.

Josephine Njoroge, the CFO of DHL Express in Kenya and Tanzania, was presented with the incredible opportunity to work in Tanzania. She describes her more memorable experiences in this CFO East Africa exclusive insight.

From dropping out of university to take on an internship to inspiring the formation of a debt collection unit to chief accountant, George Odenyo, CFO of American Tower (ATC Kenya), has definitely not followed a stereotypical career path.

Considering the perspective of others is a personal principle by which Lawrence Kimathi, financial director of KCB Group, lives - and this code of ethics has served him well.

As CFO of a law firm comprising more than 75 lawyers, "security dad" Andrew Murimi's philosophy is to treat others as he himself would love to be treated. In his view, empathy is what distinguishes managers from leaders.

Kinya Kimotho, Diageo's finance and strategy director for partner emerging markets in Africa, subscribes to the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which describes having a sense of purpose in life, seeking that motivating force that gets you out of bed every morning.

Safaricom CFO Dilip Pal recently commented on the latest Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) report, noting how mobile money has become a mainstream financial service.

Sophia Mukoba-Kioko, FD at Unilever East Africa, recently left Kenya to take on a new role in London, UK, as the Unilever global audit finance lead. Although she has travelled extensively, this will be her first assignment outside the country.

Over the next two decades, digital money will transform the way we think about currency and how it operates, according to KCB Group FD Lawrence Kimathi.

CFO East Africa recently caught up with Wasoko global CFO Sundararaman Pattabiraman to understand his views on Kenya and the finance fraternity.