Team size: Three

Q&A

What are the most significant cases or transactions that your legal team has recently been involved in? 

Our primary focus has been supporting the Bank’s growth as Uganda’s first licensed Islamic financial institution following Salaam African Bank’s acquisition in 2022 and its conversion in 2023. This has included advising on regulatory compliance, governance, customer documentation, commercial contracting and the legal framework for new Sharia-compliant products. The legal team also supported the legislative reforms that enabled Islamic finance under Ugandan law. 

As part of Salaam Group’s East African operations, we work closely with our sister companies to manage cross-border legal and regulatory issues. Most recently, this has included supporting the regional expansion of Waafi/Salaam Pay, the Group’s mobile financial services platform. 

Internally, we have strengthened the Bank’s governance framework by reviewing Sharia-compliant documentation, updating key policies, contract templates, and enhancing our data protection measures.

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

We are using technology to transform the legal function from a reactive support function into a more efficient, data-driven strategic partner. Digital solutions, automation and emerging AI capabilities are improving consistency and risk management while enabling the team to focus on higher-value advisory work. 

In contract management, digital repositories, standardised templates and structured workflows improve visibility of contractual obligations, SLA implementation, accelerate reviews and strengthen oversight. 

We are also utilising technology to enhance compliance through regulatory tracking, customer due diligence, transaction monitoring and reporting. Working closely with our Compliance and Risk teams, these tools enable earlier identification of legal and regulatory risks.

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

The General Counsel is evolving from technical legal adviser to strategic business partner at the center of governance, enterprise risk and organisational decision-making. This shift is being driven by increasingly complex regulation, including anti-corruption, data protection and AML expectations. 

ESG has broadened the role further, with corporate disclosures, stakeholder accountability, human rights, supply chain due diligence and ethical business conduct now forming part of the General Counsel’s remit. 

Additionally, as businesses established in one East African market increasingly expand across the region, General Counsel must navigate multiple regulatory frameworks while maintaining consistent governance and compliance standards. The role now combines legal expertise with commercial judgement, enterprise risk management and governance leadership to support sustainable growth while meeting rising regulatory and transparency expectations.