Team

Sam co-founded Samawati Capital Partners in early 2018 and brings with him 15+ years of experience in impact investment, commercial and development finance, sustainable private sector development as well as business growth advisory with a focus on manufacturing, trade, agribusiness, renewable energy, hospitality, microfinance, SME finance and technology for financial inclusion within the East and Southern Africa region. Before setting up SCP, Samuel had worked in increasingly senior and cross-functional roles with organizations such as Equity Bank, Fina Bank (now GT Bank), Standard Chartered, Hivos Foundation, Chase Bank Kenya (now SBM Bank), Rafiki Microfinance Bank and the Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund (AATIF) in the East and Southern Africa region. Sam completed a Bachelor of Science in Statistics at the University of Nairobi, a Postgraduate Certificate in Global Business Strategy at IESE Business School and a Master of Business Administration at Strathmore Business School. He is also a board member of the Economics Projects Trust Fund and Act!, both impact-focused non-profits based in Kenya, and is passionate about using appropriate capital to support the growth and development of high growth enterprises in Africa.

Sonja co-founded Samawati Capital Partners in early 2018 bringing with her professional experience in the impact investment space and strong knowledge on developing countries having lived in Africa and the Middle East for over 15 years.

She previously worked for Deutsche Bank AG managing the investment activities of the Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund (AATIF)  in East and Southern Africa. Prior to this, she worked for the regional GIZ project based out of Ghana focusing on establishing Farmer Business Schools.

Sonja completed a Bachelor of Science  in International Management at the European School of Business (ESB) and Dublin City University and further completed a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics at the University of Bonn.

Cyrill is a senior investment associate at Samawati Capital Partners. He joined the team in 2018 and has over 10 years of experience in investment and commercial banking.

He previously worked at Chase Bank Kenya, as an assistant manager in group strategy and finance, involved in strategic planning, business analysis, fund raising and capital structuring. Prior to which he worked at Genghis Capital Investment Bank involved in corporate finance, handling mergers and acquisitions, structuring of investment funds, private equity and debt placements, across several sectors in East Africa.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and is currently pursuing the second level of the Chartered Financial Analyst Program.

Jeff is the Consulting Lead for Investment and Impact Advisory at Samawati Capital Partners. He is an experienced business, investment, and development expert and brings with him 10+ years of experience providing strategic business growth advisory and investment readiness support and designing and managing technical assistance programs targeted at SMEs, start-ups and high growth enterprises in various sectors including food and agribusiness, manufacturing, retail and trade, I.T and technology-enabled services, renewable energy and waste sectors.

In addition, Jeff has broad experience in research and consulting in financial inclusion and agricultural value chain development, and has consulted widely with various private, public and development organizations across East Africa including but not limited to institutions such as AGRA, Farm Africa, GIZ, ACELI Africa, KCB Foundation, Hand in Hand International, Global Communities, Heifer International, KCIC, Pangea Trust, among others. He also brings experience and networks engaging with financial institutions including KCB, NCBA, Cooperative, Faulu, KWFT, SMEP, among others. Jeff has engaged with over 400 businesses contributing to their growth in one way or another.

Jeff holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (honours) from Maseno University. He is also a CPA and has a background in banking and finance.

Dennis is an Investment Associate at Samawati Capital Partners. He joined the team in 2022 and has over 8 years of experience in impact investment, risk financing and commercial banking.

He previously worked at Business Partners International as an Investment Officer where he was involved in deal souring, due diligence, and portfolio management. Prior to this, he worked at Ecobank Kenya Limited as a Credit Analyst, Commercial Banking where he was involved in client relationship management and deal structuring.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Statistics from the University of Nairobi. In addition, he has a Diploma in Business and IT from the Institute of Advanced Technology (IAT) and a Certification in Start-up Valuation Methods, Private Equity and Venture Capital from Duke University and Universitä Commerciale Luigi Bocconi respectively.

Mitchel is a Senior Investment Analyst at Samawati Capital Partners. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Joining us in May of 2022, he has gained vast experience from working in the manufacturing, investment banking, and management consulting sectors, with a sweet spot for AgriFinance and strategic sourcing in the agricultural value chain.

Mitchel has previously worked as an accounts intern at Colour Label Limited, a research analyst at AIB Capital and as a senior investment and financial analyst at Strategic Value Limited. Moving forward, he is keen to pursue his professional certification with the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute.

Kate is the Operations Manager at Samawati Capital Partners. She has been a member of the team since April 2021 and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Development from Africa Nazarene University in Nairobi, Kenya.

Her unique background spans government, non-profit and for-profit organizations, and includes experience in administration management, operations and business development.

Her plans for the immediate future are to get certification as a Project Management Professional.

Christine is an investment analyst at Samawati Capital Partners. She joined the team in September 2019 and is a graduate with a Bachelor of Business Science in Financial Economics from Strathmore University in Nairobi. During the course of her studies, she has shown interest for the finance, economic development, sustainability and environmental projects sectors as well as world economic affairs. She has completed internships in two banks in Nairobi, namely Kenya Women Finance Trust and Absa Kenya Limited.

RickyJesse is an Investment Analyst at Samawati Capital Partners. He joined the team in April 2021 and is a graduate from Strathmore University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Science: Financial Economics.

During his studies, he pursued internships at Equity Bank and Impact Research & Development (a local non-governmental organization whose mandate is to design and implement public health programs and research studies that benefit vulnerable populations in Kenya), where he developed a keen interest in development economics and investment analysis.

He also took part in an IMF-sponsored Macroeconomic Diagnostic course, where he learned how to assess countries’ macroeconomic conditions. His significant interest in research and competence in this area have been beneficial to the company, since he provides a great deal of assistance in this area.

Brian is an Investment Analyst at Samawati Capital Partners. A member of the team since May of 2022, Brian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from The Cooperative University of Kenya. During his studies, he was very passionate about financial modelling and valuation, and represented his school during the 2017/2018 CFA East Africa research challenge. He has also shown interest in investment analysis and management, having experience in equity research, private equity, venture capital and advisory.

Brian joins us with close to 2 years of work experience gained through previous internships with AIB Capital (Currently AIB AXYS), Bamboo Capital, Aavishkaar Capital and Maitri Capital, as well as volunteering with Shaper Impact Capital.

Annpatliz is the Senior Sustainability Analyst at Samawati Capital Partners. She has been a member of the team since October 2020 and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Kisii University. 

Annpatliz has over 3 years’ experience in environmental  and project management with the Council of Governors and other well established institutions, where her interest in the sustainable finance space began after undertaking several S&E related courses, including (i) Environmental and Social Safeguards under the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework; (ii) Market-Based Incentives for Biodiversity Conservation by KINSHIP Regional Conservation; and (iii) Environmental and Social Risk Management for the Kenya Devolution Support Programme by the Kenya School of Government and World Bank.

She has proceeded to expand her impact investment knowledge by doing an ILO course on human rights due diligence and a UNEP-FI course on environmental and social risk assessment in 2021. She looks forward to further expanding her knowledge in the field and supporting the inclusion of S&E aspects in Samawati’s coverage across the continent.

Sean is the Marketing and Communications Analyst at Samawati Capital Partners. He graduated with First Class Honours from Strathmore University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, majoring in Public Relations. Having previously completed an internship at an upcoming PR agency, Sean’s interests in client and community relations, technical writing, and social media management were ignited and developed.

Moving forward, Sean is keen to develop a deep understanding of macroeconomic trends and analysis, further developing his communication expertise in that area.

Judy is an investment analyst intern at Samawati Capital Partners. She has been a member of the team since May 2022 and holds a Bachelor of Business Science degree in Finance from Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya.

During her studies she developed her interest for the finance and education sectors, as well as in world economic affairs. She also completed her internship in Nairobi City County Government and Sterling Capital under the research department, where she developed a keen interest in investment analysis and research.

Looking forward, Judy is looking forward to pursuing her master’s degree in finance in the near future.

Sheila Imbali is an Office Assistant at Samawati Capital. She is currently pursuing a certificate in Office Management at Kenya Institute of Management (KIM). With previous experience at Safi Sana Cleaning Services and Solar Garden, she is equipped for the role not only in hospitality services, but also in administrative services which she has shown interest for.