Staff Profiles

Nguru Wachira - Chief Executive
 

Mr. Wachira is a management practitioner, consultant and trainer. He has qualified as an Accountant, Chartered Secretary and Stockbroker. He has 30 years post qualification experience.  He is a consultant for the ACCA international conference on small and medium enterprises (SME), for the European Investment Bank on the tea industry, for the World Bank in the tea industry and the local government sector reforms and for the DFID/British Government on private sector and NGO governance.  He is the Chairman of the Association of Financial Analysts (East Africa), a past Chairman of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya and past member of the Council for the East, Central and South African Federation of Accountants. He sits in the council of Moores Rowland International, the 8th largest international association of finance professionals.  He has headed teams of International Consultancy experts in the East and Central African region on assignments commissioned by the World Bank, DFID, Commonwealth Development Corporation and the European Investment Bank. He has attended international conferences on Corporate Social Responsibility, Accountancy and Small and Medium Enterprises and was instrumental in spearheading the most successful corporate governance initiative in Africa.  He is the founder and Chief Executive of Wachira Irungu & Associates group of professional services.

Mr. Joseph Kimani      - Director/Partner

Mr. Kimani is the firm’s Partner in charge of audit, taxation, corporate finance services and firm’s overall quality control, has extensive experience in both private and public sector accounting, auditing, financial management, taxation and administration spanning over 24 years.  He has been involved in auditing and investigations, tax consulting, project motoring and evaluation, institutional evaluation and business valuation work for several NGOs, private and public organisations among them, Federation of Women Lawyers - Kenya (FIDA), Kisumu Innovations Centre - Kenya, (KICK), Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA), 44 KTDA managed tea factory companies, Meru Mulika Lodge Ltd, Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers Ltd, East Usambara Tea Company Limited (Tanzania) and Ziwa Creations.  He has been involved in the World Bank funded projects including Team Leader for the financial and technical audit of Nairobi City Water and Sewarage Company Limited (NCWSC), the training of 104 Heads of Departments and 224 Heads of Sections for eight local authorities in Tanzania, the restructuring of Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) and other tea sector institutions as a financial analyst and in the Kenya Local Government Reform Programme (KLGRP) as an audit expert.  Before joining the firm, he worked for several years in senior capacities in audit cycles and in the co-operative movement.  As a senior Auditor with an international audit firm, he was in charge of several major audit and systems review assignments which included the Central Bank of Kenya, Lonrho Group, Strabag International GmBh, Jos Hansen & Soehen, Mowlem Construction (EA) Ltd., and two State owned tourist resort hotels in the republic of Seychelles.  Since joining the firm in 1993 he has been in charge of the audit, management advisory services, systems design, review and implementation for diverse clients, among them Kisumu Innovations Centre, Kenya/Ziwa Creations for DFIDEA, United International Investigative Services, Kopcke International (EA) Ltd., Swift Freight International Kenya Limited, Golden Spurs Kenya Limited, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Tea Development Authority, 8 KTDA tea factory companies, Hillcrest Hotel Ltd., Kenya Tea Packers Ltd., and many others. He has also carried out forensic audit work for diverse clients such as Kenya Wildlife Service, KTDA, Kiegoi Tea Factory, Swift Freight International (K) Ltd, Fuelex Kenya Limited, Suera Flowers and Kirinyaga Construction Company Ltd, among others.  He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from New Port University, Carlifonia.  He is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), qualified in 1988. Mr. Kimani has also qualified as Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

Ethan H. Irungu      - Director/Partner  

Mr. Irungu is a qualified accountant with over 25 years experience in public sector accounting, finance, management, commercial accountancy. During this time he has been a partner with Wachira Irungu and Associates since 1979, and has worked in senior positions with the public sector, government and local authorities, commerce and industry. Prior to going into private practice, he had held senior positions including Provincial Local Government Officer, North Eastern Province and a County Council Treasurer, Accountant with Total Oil Products (EA) Limited, and Chief Executive of Stencil Development (K) Limited. He is a member of the institute Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), qualified in 1976.

Lucy N. Karanja - Finance & Accounting Expert

Lucy is an Audit Manager/Principal Consultant with the firm and has extensive experience in private and public sector accounting, auditing, financial management and administration spanning over 20 years.  As an Audit Manager, she has been in-charge of diverse clients including Nyeri Water and Sewerage Company Limited (NYEWASCO), Meru Water Sewerage Services (MEWASS), Federation of Women Lawyers - Kenya (FIDA), Family Finance Building Society, People Against Torture, Kenya Tea Development Authority, Chai Warehousing Limited, among others.   She has also been the Principal Consultant on the DFID (UK)/World Bank funded Local Government component of the Country Financial Accountability Assessment (CFAA) for Tanzania and also the DFID (UK)/World Bank funded Local Government component of the CFAA for Kenya. CFAA seeks to: i) establish whether the system of financial management provide sufficient or reasonable assurance that proper checks and balances exist and are adhered to; ii) help identify weaknesses in financial management systems and institutions and determine priorities for improvement. She was the Accounting and Financial Management expert in the design and implementation of a simplified accounting system for Kenyan local authorities.  This included documenting current accounting systems in project towns, preparing reports and operating procedure manuals. She used the manuals to train the accounts personnel of local authorities on proper procedures of recording and reporting financial information. She was also involved in the development of Corporate Plans and the culture change programmes for the newly formed Nyeri Water and Sewerage Company Ltd, Nakuru Water and Sewerage Company Ltd., Eldoret Water and Sewerage Company Ltd. and Kitale Water and Sewerage Company Ltd.  She has many years’ experience in key finance positions in the private sector and has been able to implement changes of accounting systems hands-on. As an auditor with an international audit firm, she was involved in the audits and review of several financial institutions among them the National Bank of Kenya, Continental Credit Finance and Rural Urban Credit Finance Company. Lucy holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Accounting Option) from the University of Nairobi and is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya, where she is the convenor of the Practitioners Committee.

Mr. Stephen Tumbo - Audit Manager

Mr. Tumbo is the Audit Manager of our Nairobi office.  He has over 24 years experience in audit, financial management and accounting services systems review and analysis. Before joining the firm, Mr. Tumbo worked at senior levels for leading international firms of Accountants in charge of several major audit assignments including Kenya Power & Lighting, Kenya Breweries Ltd, General Motors (K) Ltd, Unga Group, Kenya Airways, Nairobi City Council and many others.  He has also been a Branch Manager of a medium sized accounting firm responsible for all auditing and accounting assignments, administrative and other management matters.  He also managed finances of two major tea factories and a coffee estate.  Mr. Tumbo qualified as an accountant with KASNEB in 1987 and holds a B.Com (Hons) and M. Com degrees (majoring in Finance and Accounting) both from the University of Delhi (India)

Caleb Macharia Githige - Company Secretary

Mr. Githige is a Company Secretary with the firm and has extensive experience in the private and public sector in company secretarial practice, spanning 28 years. He is also an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.  In the public sector, he started his career as a trainer and rose through the ranks to the position of Company Secretary and finally as the Corporate Services Manager at Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA). As such, he was in-charge of all corporate matters in that organisation. As Company Secretary and also as Corporate Services Manager, Mr. Githige was in-charge of company secretarial matters for over 54 KTDA-managed tea factory companies. Mr. Githige joined this firm one year ago and is in-charge of company secretarial matters for almost one hundred companies. He is also the company secretary for Dominion Group of Companies. He is a member of the Institute of Certified Secretaries (K) and the Law Society of Kenya. Mr. Githige holds a LL.B and BA (University of Nairobi, a Diploma in Legal Studies – Kenya Law School)

Joseph M.Maina - Tax Consultant

Mr Maina has extensive tax working experience spanning over 30 years. He started his tax career as a Tax Assessor with the Income Tax Department (later the Kenya Revenue Authority), rising through the ranks to the position of Senior assistant Commissioner for Domestic Taxes by the time he retired in 2003. The Kenya Revenue Authority offered him a contracted assignment for three years to April 2006 to deal with specific specialised assignments. The assignments covered such areas as Special projects for the purposes of recruiting new tax taxpayers as well as promoting compliance in selected sectors such as non-resident shipping business, taxation of foreign owned private villas offering accommodation for hire, among others. He was involved in the formulation of the Tax Procedure Code for the Domestic Taxes Department of the Kenya Revenue Authority, now expected to become a Law. His other functions and responsibilities at the Domestic Taxes Department, Head office included: Dealing with interpretations of technical issues touching on Income Tax Act referred to the Commissioner by the Departmental Stations, Organizations or the general public. Such technical issues include Tax Exemptions, Investments Deductions, Errors in the tax returns and accounts etc. Participated in various technical committees on matters relating to Income Tax such as Double Tax Relief Agreements, Budgetary proposals leading to Income Tax Amendments etc. Participation in taxpayer education on tax matters. KRA runs a Training School. He was a permanent resource person teaching the revenue officers on taxation of business incomes. Participated in meeting with stakeholders in tax matters who included, taxpayers’ agents, accountants, taxpaying public and such organizations as Institute of Certified Public Accountant (ICPAK), Kenya Association of Manufacturers. Mr. Maina holds a B.A (Hons) Economics/Geography, University of Nairobi.

Associate Consultants

Ian Knapp      - Project Management Expert

Mr. Knapp is a development oriented management consultant with 12 years Consultancy experience plus 16 years of World Bank (WB) development experience, covering projects and programs with particular emphasis on private sector reform and operational improvements. He has worked extensively in the private sector and public sectors with transitioning corporations, special projects, merchant bankers, legal and financial specialist, and on diverse issues of public sector reform with client governments, the IMF, DFID, and major European bilateral donors. Having served as a WB project officer for the East African region for over seven years, he has extensive hands-on experience in World Bank and public sector tendering and procurement procedures. He was the Task Manager for the WB team that developed and implemented the initial privatisation of state enterprises and civil service reform programs in Gambia, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania. For over three years, he was the Task Manager based full time in Nairobi on the Kenyan public enterprises privatisation and civil service reform programs. He was also a team member of the World Bank team that revitalised the Bank’s support to the Indonesian supreme Audit Institute. Prior to this, as a consultant in the private sector, he had undertaken a complete review of a manufacturing company, rebuilt manufacturing inventory, tendering and procurement procedures and controls, leading to increased outputs of 40%. He was a member of an integrated consultancy team that conceptualised, developed and implemented an innovative approach to the creation of a new line of financial products and services across the United States (US) Banking industry. US $ 20 Million was borrowed; a new company started within 20 months operating in all States, with four regional headquarters. He acted as the Vice President Marketing for initial 8 months of the company's operations. He also served as the General Manager of a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company. Mr. Knapp holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) Business Studies & Management, University of Coventry and an MBA (Distinction) Executive Management, Pace University.

Peter Wagner – Local Government Finance Expert

Mr Wagner is a public sector accountant.  He accumulated over 13 years experience in various management and technical posts in the finance departments of UK public sector organisations before joining an international accounting firm to undertake consultancy work overseas in 1985.  In his years overseas, he has successfully completed many multi-lateral and bi-lateral funded assignments, mainly in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Lesotho and Zambia.  Mr. Wagner has developed a speciality in longer-term assignment focused on skill upgrading, capacity building and the implementation of sustainable improvements in financial management utilising computer applications where appropriate.  In his assignments, he has strived to introduce international best practice within the context of local customs and culture.  Mr Wagner was engaged by the firm at the start of 1996 to strengthen and develop our range of services to the public sector.  Mr. Wagner holds a BA in economics and accounting from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, UK.

Richard K.A. Siele, EBS – Local Government Policy & Governance Expert

Mr. Siele has extensive experience in Public Administration, Governance and policy analysis spanning over 30 years, with special bias on the Local Government Sector.  He started his long public service life as a tutor at Mosoriot Teachers College in 1970, rising through the ranks to become deputy Chief Inspector of Schools in 1986.  In 1988 he was appointed Deputy Director (Human Resources) in the Directorate of Personnel Management, Office of the President.  In 1992 he again rose the ladder to become the Permanent Secretary (PS) Ministry of Local Government, a post he held until his retirement from the civil service in 1998.  During his tenor as PS he was heavily involved in diverse policy and governance issues relating to the then on-going Kenya Local Government Reform Programme (KLGRP) and Civil Service Reform.  He has also chaired several National Boards.  Mr. Siele holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University of Nairobi.

Peter Mungai – Associate Consultant

Mr. Mungai is an associate consultant in the realms of Audit, Financial systems and Taxation and has vast experience in both private and public sector accounting, audit and corporate finance for over 14 years. He has been involved in statutory and investigative audits for such organizations as: Kenya tea development authority,(KTDA), KTDA managed factories, Kenya Tea Packers,(KETEPA), Equity Building society, Kenya wildlife society donor funded projects across the country, Fuelex Kenya Ltd an Oil company , Carried out financial systems review and projects audit for International center for Insect physiology and Entomology,(ICIPE) and IPUS Kenya an American based gender advocacy NGO whose projects span Africa wide. Before joining the firm as an associate consultant, in 2002, Mr. Ndung’u was the Area Business Manager for Eastman Kodak inc. in charge of 39 countries in sub Sahara Africa region, where he was responsible for strategy formulation and program execution. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Ndung’u was the Finance Manager for over 5 years for the same organization. He is almost through with his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree specializing in Strategic Management. He is a member of Institute of certified Public accountant of Kenya (ICPAK).

Simon Mwangi Macharia – Economist and Urban Planning Expert

Mr. Macharia has extensive experience in urban planning and development spanning over 24 years, with special bias on social services and community based programmes.  He has held senior positions in the Kenyan Civil Service in areas relating to housing and urban development; these include Project Co-ordinator for the Kenya Municipal Reform Programme under the Ministry of Local Government, Policy and Programme Adviser to Kenya Industrial Development Institute (KIRDI), Economic and Public Finance Adviser to the presidential commission on local authorities (the Omamo Commission), Deputy Chief Economist/Head of Planning Ministry of Local Government and Economist in the Ministry of Works Housing and Urban Development, among others.  He has also been involved in several project evaluation missions for the Small Towns Development Project funded by GTZ.  Mr. Macharia holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons) Economics/Sociology from the University of Nairobi, a Masters degree in environmental studies (MES) Urban Planning from York University, Canada and a Masters degree in social sciences (MSocsc) Economic Management, University of Birmingham, UK.

M.S. Mwarigha – Urban Planning and Development Expert

Mr. Mwarigha possesses a strong educational background and work experience in urban planning in both East and Central Africa and Canada, resulting in a comprehensive comparative approach in the area of urban planning; especially, in developing alternative models of providing social services and community based planning.   In Zimbabwe, he participated in both planning and implementing post-colonial local government reform.  As a member of the Canadian Urban Institute, a key player in local government reform in post-communist Eastern Europe, he has a wealth of knowledge on contemporary models of local government in Kenya as well as the structural adjustment context of the Kenya Local Government Reform Programme.  As Programme Director of SPC Metropolitan, Toronto, he has been involved in computer based information networks project for social services; planning of local based community economic development plans; urban settlement research and population projection focusing on new immigrants; working group on development of a community based urban and social planning model; housing development initiatives; a project to build multi-status housing for new immigrants.  (Funded as one of the national housing innovation projects funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation); Research to improve the participation of ethical communities in Metro Toronto’s social and land-use planning.  Mr. Mwarigha is a holder of Masters of Arts (urban studies) University of Windsor, 1991 and Masters of Science (Regional and Urban Planning), University of Zimbabwe, 1987.

Professor A.A. Eshiwani – Legislative Review & Drafting Expert

Pro. Eshiwani is a law professor and legal consultant of long standing.   He started his legal career in 1976 as a lecturer in law at the Kenya Institute of Administration (KIA), before moving to the University of Nairobi (Faculty of Law) in 1981 in the same capacity.  In 1994, he became an Associate Professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Nairobi.  As a consultant, he has been a legal expert in several major assignments both in the private and public sectors.  These have included serving as joint secretary to the Task Force on the Review of Kenya’s Companies Act, Review of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Act under a World Bank funded project, preparation of legal documents for the patenting of Kenya Medical Research Institute’s (KEMRI) medicinal inventions, review of the Kenya African National Union’s (KANU) Constitution, Review of the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) legislation, and served as a member of the World Bank funded Task Force on the Review and also Restructuring of the Higher Education Sector in Kenya, among many others.  Pro. Eshiwani holds a PHD in Law, University of California, Masters in Law (LL.M) from both the universities of Nairobi and California, and a Bachelors Degree in Law (LL.B), university of Dar-Es-Salaam.

Peter Nyaga Kamundi – Legal Expert

Mr. Kamundi is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya of more than 23 years standing.  He is the principal officer in the law firm of Nyaga Kamundi & Company Advocates, one of the better established law firms based at Meru Town, whose motto is honest and efficient service to its clients.  He is very highly respected and has held the chairmanship of the Northern Kenya branch of the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) for 3 years.  He is also the immediate past chairman of the Meru Branch of the Law Society of Kenya, a post he has held for 4 years from 1997 to 2000.  He has a wealth of experience in local government management.  He served for 10 years with the Meru Municipal Council, of which 4 years were in the capacity of Deputy Town Clerk and 6 years in the capacity of Town Clerk.

 John Cheruiyot - Management Consultant and Trainer

Mr. Cheruiyot is a management consultant and trainer with extensive experience spanning over 29 years.  He was a member of the team that recently successfully concluded a World Bank funded Training Consultancy contract by the President's Office Regional Administration and Local Government, United Republic of Tanzania (GoT), for Middle Management Training in Management Organisation and Human Resources Development, under the Urban Sector Rehabilitation Project, involving 104 Heads of Departments and 224 Heads of Sections/Units from the eight project Towns/Municipalities of Arusha, Moshi, Tanga, Morogoro, Iringa, Mbeya, Tabora and the City of Mwanza for 3 and 2 weeks respectively. As a team leader in a poverty reduction programme funded by DFID in South Rift region of Rift Valley Province, I identified business opportunities and carried out needs assessment; designed and implemented appropriate intervention training and counseling programmes among micro enterprise owners with a team of 4 consultants.  The programme ran from May 1999 to March 2003.  The main contractor was the Emerging Market Economics of UK and the British Council, P.O. Box 40751, Nairobi. Between March 1997 and January 1999 I was involved in the development and implementation of the training component of the IDA-funded Micro and Small Enterprise Training and Technology Project (MSETP) of the Kenya Ministry of Research Technical Training and Technology.  Worked as a member of six-consultant team of FAS International of Ireland. Since July 1994 I have been involved in training and business consulting for Kicher & Associates, Training and Management Consultants, P.O. Box 61379, Nairobi as the Principal Consultant.  I have trained for private and public sector organizations in change management and other general management disciplines.  From July 1995 to-date, I have been the lead financial and general management training consultant for KHI Training Limited, P.O. Box 30684, Nairobi. As a Deputy Director and Director of a Kenya country programme of Sight Savers International of the U.K, I was involved in conducting country assessment for identifying viable projects, programme development and implementation, identifying training needs and co-coordinating training activities with the Ministry of Health and donor agencies.  In mid 2000, carried out major change management training for Tanzania’s CRDB Bank and moderated in their 5-year Strategic Planning workshop in Arusha. Moderated a Strategic Planning Workshop for Urban Water and Sanitation Management (UWASAM) Project of the Kenya Ministry of Local Government for the period 1996-1999. In addition I underwent GTZ-sponsored Moderators’ Training program. In September 2002, facilitated and wrote a draft Strategic Plan for the period 2002-2007 for - P&O Nedlloyd after moderating a series of four workshops for the management of East Africa and Indian Ocean Island Region.  During the period 2000 and 2002 carried out needs assessment, prepared a curriculum and training materials, and carried out training for the Income Generating Activities component of a USAID supported HIV/AIDS project being implemented by Pathfinder International in selected urban slum areas in Mombasa and Nairobi. Facilitated at the Strategic Planning Workshop of The Kenya Section of The International Commission Of Jurists in January 2003.

Absalom Madiavale - HRM and Training Consultant

Mr Madiavale is a management consultant cum a trainer.  He holds a Master of Business Administration and degree Graduate Management Studies Certificate from the University of Miami, Florida, USA and also Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology from the University of Nairobi.  As a trainer, he is particularly experienced in designing and developing of training programs, in areas of strategic management, management of change, total quality management, finance for non-finance managers, fundamentals of management functions, proposal writing and presentation skills, executive development, human resource management, human and public relations, business communication, supervising and management skills development, transport fleet management, capacity building, human re-engineering amongst other programs.  He is also an expert in development of market strategies for both local and international markets. Since 1995, Mr Madiavale has been engaged in long term assignments commissioned by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the World Bank, the Tanzania Government, the Uganda Government, the African Telecommunications Union and the Government of Kenya.  He was a member of the team that recently successfully concluded a World Bank funded Training Consultancy contract by the President's Office Regional Administration and Local Government, United Republic of Tanzania (GoT), for Middle Management Training in Management Organisation and Human Resources Development, under the Urban Sector Rehabilitation Project, involving 104 Heads of Departments and 224 Heads of Sections/Units from the eight project Towns/Municipalities of Arusha, Moshi, Tanga, Morogoro, Iringa, Mbeya, Tabora and the City of Mwanza for 3 and 2 weeks respectively. Currently he is a Lecturer (part-time) at the University of Nairobi.

Jan Mutai – Management Consultant and Trainer

Mr. Mutai has been the Secretary General of African Telecommunications Union (ATU), a specialised agency of the African Union (AU), in the field of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). He was elected to this position on 7th December 1999, at the Extraordinary Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the Pan African Telecommunications Union (PATU), held in Cape Town, South Africa.  It was at this conference, that the name of the organisation was changed, to ATU, to signify the adoption of a new Mission, Vision and Objectives for the Union, together with the launch of private sector participation, in all its activities.  He is presently involved with repositioning ATU, as one of the leading organisations in Africa, fostering accelerated development of ICT infrastructure and services, in order to provide affordable access for all, to the benefits of the emerging information and knowledge society. Mr. Mutai has extensive experience, both in the public and private sectors, especially in the fields of public sector reform, business strategy, organisation restructuring, and process re-engineering. He was previously, Managing Director of Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KP&TC). Whilst there, he laid the foundation for the reform and restructuring of the telecommunications sector, resulting in new legislation in 1998, for the separation of powers, for policy, regulation and service provision. As a result KP&TC was split in 1999 into three; the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), Telkom Kenya Limited and the Postal Corporation of Kenya. For his contribution to national development, he has been honoured by the Republic of Kenya with several awards, which include Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS) in 1998.  Before appointment in the public sector, he had over 20 years experience in the business sector, with the Shell group of companies, where he rose through the ranks, from a plant engineer, through sales & marketing management, to director human resources & public affairs.   Mr. Mutai is a member of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya and other professional organisations.