Team size: Twelve

Major legal advisors: Coulson Harney (Bowmans), Kaplan & Stratton, IKM – DLA Piper, TripleOK Law, Kieti Law (CDH), G&A Advocates LLP. 

Jurisdictions your role covers: Kenya

Q&A

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

Safaricom’s legal team has been actively engaged in high-value disputes and strategic interventions requiring a careful balance between risk management and business continuity. A standout matter was Safaricom PLC v Popote Innovations, where the company faced an adverse arbitral award of approximately KES 945 million and imminent enforcement risk. The team led a strategic reset, appointing new counsel including Senior Counsel and reframing the litigation approach to challenge both procedural and substantive weaknesses. This resulted in the High Court setting aside the award in its entirety, eliminating immediate exposure and preserving significant shareholder value, with the matter now proceeding on appeal. 

Similarly, in Abiero & Obuya v Safaricom, the team addressed garnishee orders that had frozen approximately KES 575 million following recognition of an arbitral award. Through a structured response, Safaricom secured the substitution of cash with a bank guarantee, restoring liquidity while maintaining a strong appellate position. Beyond these headline matters, the team continues to deliver value through proactive dispute resolution and strategic settlements, including achieving substantial savings in cross-border contractual disputes and resolving legacy litigation in a manner that mitigates financial and reputational risk.

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

To support scale and efficiency, the legal function is increasingly leveraging technology. Our contract management system, with embedded artificial intelligence, automates the full contract lifecycle from tender award through execution to expiry and renewal. The platform supports drafting and review through AI-assisted clause analysis, version control and change tracking, while providing analytics on contract volumes, risk exposure and financial commitments. This has improved consistency, visibility and control across the contract portfolio. In parallel, AI tools are used in legal research and document review, enabling faster turnaround times and allowing the team to focus on complex, business-critical work. A digital litigation management platform further enhances collaboration with external counsel and supports a transition toward a more data-driven legal function.

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

Risk mitigation remains central to the team’s approach. This is achieved through early stakeholder engagement, continuous monitoring of legal and regulatory developments, and targeted capacity-building initiatives across business functions. Beyond internal efforts, the team proactively engages stakeholders across the regulatory and justice ecosystems through structured dialogues aimed at exchanging knowledge on mobile technology, digital finance and evolving jurisprudence. This two-way capacity building promotes deeper understanding of both industry realities and legal standards, supporting more informed and efficient dispute resolution. Coupled with disciplined dispute management and strong cross-functional collaboration, this approach enables the team to manage high litigation volumes while minimising financial, operational and reputational exposure.

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

The evolving role of the General Counsel is reflected in Safaricom’s approach to governance and sustainability. This is exemplified by the company’s green bond issuance under its KES40bn Medium-Term Note Programme, including a KES15bn inaugural tranche – the largest green bond issuance in Kenya and the first to support mobile-based investor participation. The legal function played a central role in structuring the transaction, navigating the intersection of capital markets, telecoms and fintech regulation, and ensuring the integrity of ESG disclosures and compliance. This underscores the transition of the General Counsel role from traditional legal advisory to a strategic partner in enabling sustainable finance, strengthening governance and supporting long-term resilience.