CFO East Africa

Irene Maberi has been appointed interim CEO of ASA Microfinance Uganda. She joined ASA Microfinance in March 2025 as CFO and moves into the top role slightly over a year later. Irene began her career at MTN Uganda in January 2001 as an assistant accountant in banking. She progressed steadily through the organisation over nearly 11 years, moving several roles before being seconded to MTN Shared Services as finance manager for IT shared services in September 2011, a position she held until May 2014.

Om Prakash has been appointed CFO of Uganda Baati. He joins from RAK Ceramics India, where he spent nearly 19 years in senior finance roles, most recently as CFO. Om started his career at RAK Ceramics in the UAE as a management trainee in June 2001 before moving to RAK Ceramics Bangladesh, where he rose from chief accountant to manager of finance and accounts over five and a half years.

Co-operative Bank of Kenya director of finance and strategy Caroline Karimi has been nominated for the 2026 CFO East Africa Awards, joining a distinguished group of finance leaders competing for the region's most coveted accolades in finance leadership. Caroline has been with Co-operative Bank of Kenya for over 13 years, joining in December 2012 as head of cost and business change management.

MTN Rwanda has joined CFO East Africa as a corporate member, with acting CFO Dunstan Stober gaining full access to the community's events, insights, and networks, alongside Joel Murwanashyaka, senior manager for reporting, Lawrence Gakwaya, senior manager for tax, and Allan Kagenza, investor relations. The executives will attend CFO summits across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, as well as affiliated events in South Africa, including CFO Day, Executive Day and the Finance Indaba.

Yusuf Omari has taken over as interim managing director and CEO of Absa Bank Kenya with effect from 1 July 2026, following the resignation of Abdi Mohamed. This is his second time stepping up to lead the bank in a transitional period, having served as interim MD from November 2022 to August 2025 following the departure of Jeremy Awori. His appointment is subject to regulatory approval, with the board announcing that it has begun the process of recruiting a substantive managing director and CEO.

At the Standard Chartered Marathon last year, Madison Group CFO Dr Daniel Murage made a mistake he will not repeat. He showed up in brand-new road racing shoes and took off at the pace of elite athletes whom he had lined up with. The first 10 kilometres were exhilarating, but the next 11 were an uphill task. Although he finished, he ran slower than he had managed in any of the previous three years. "It was my most memorable run because I learned from that.

As organisations across Africa pursue growth and resilience, a central question emerges: what kind of leadership will define the next decade of success? Leadership is ultimately reflected in the actions and behaviours of the team, and titles alone do not make leaders. Effective leaders inspire alignment, build trust, and mobilize people toward a shared vision. Modern leadership is also shaped by perception and context.

In 2004, Ira Kaviti's father sat him down for a conversation he was not prepared for. He was three years into his career at Deloitte and was progressing steadily. But his father did not believe progress meant fulfilment. "He said: something is off with you. From the outside, you look like you're doing very well, and indeed, society thinks that you are doing well, but you've somehow not found yourself. You do not have time for yourself.

At the age of 27, Clara Wanjiku Odero looked at her salary in renewable energy and did the math. From the numbers, she concluded that she would never own a house or reach the level of financial security she had set her sights on. She also worried that she would never break through to senior leadership in a sector where race determined who rose above the glass ceiling.

Geoffrey Njuguna has been appointed as managing director of Interswitch Kenya. He brings over 15 years of progressive leadership in financial strategy, planning, and systems implementation across fintech and IT sectors.