Team size: Ten 

Major legal advisors: Nangwala, Rezida and Company Advocates

Q&A  

How is your legal function leveraging technology to enhance efficiency in areas such as contract management and compliance monitoring? 

Our department has embraced usage of digital tools to streamline our processes. We use secure cloud-based platforms for document drafting and management, automated workflows to enhance efficiency, and compliance dashboards that provide real-time insights. This has not only improved our turnaround times but also enabled us to identify and address risks proactively.

I motivated skills development of two legal staff to intentionally cement our adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to significantly enhance our efficiency in legal service delivery, foster innovation, and strongly support the Bank’s ongoing digital transformation agenda. One attended East Africa Law Society Enablify AI Masterclass for Lawyers in May in Nairobi, where she was equipped with hands-on AI tools that are directly relevant to legal advisory, due diligence, and contract review. She is currently building an AI legal assistant for the department. Another staff commenced a three-months Post-Graduate Certificate in AI tailored for lawyers, partially facilitated by the Uganda Law Society. The course shall deepen understanding of AI and enhance how we can deploy AI tools and resources to improve our efficiency levels.

What strategies has your legal team adopted to mitigate legal and regulatory risks in a rapidly evolving business and political environment? 

We prioritise risk assessments and scenario planning by conducting regular reviews of potential exposures and ensure that mitigation strategies are integrated into our business processes. Collaboration across departments is key, as it allows us to build a holistic risk management culture; we work with the Risk Management and Compliance Departments in this regard in furtherance of the 3 lines of defense model which places the three departments at the 2nd line to provide oversight and support to the first line and enable development of risk management frameworks and policies. Compliance frameworks are regularly reviewed and updated as well as continuous implementation of dynamic policies that can be adjusted as new laws and regulations emerge, with focus on regular engagements and conducting of training sessions for the  partners, as we refer to ourselves in the Bank to break hierarchy and build trust – to enhance awareness and resilience. The preferred approach is to be proactive, to stay ahead of regulatory changes rather than react to them. 

In addition, we keep the board that has oversight for Governance, Strategic direction and Policy guidance, regular reports about the new laws/regulations and their potential impact on the Business of the Bank to keep them apprised to guide their decisioning process. 

How is the role of the General Counsel evolving in East Africa as organisations place greater emphasis on governance, transparency and ESG considerations? 

The role of GC in the region and beyond is evolving rapidly to that of a strategic business partner; driving initiatives that enhance corporate responsibility, embed ethical practices, and support sustainable growth. Additionally, the role is increasingly at the forefront of shaping organisational culture and stakeholder engagement.