Anita Kiriga – GC Powerlist
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East Africa 2024

Energy and utilities

Anita Kiriga

Head of Legal and Compliance | d.light

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East Africa 2024

legal500.com/gc-powerlist/

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Anita Kiriga

Head of Legal and Compliance | d.light

Legal team size: Three 

Major legal advisers/ external counsel: Fenwick and CRS 

 

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

The legal team at d.light has played a pivotal role in securing significant financial resources for d.light through various complex financial transactions.  

  • Equity Financing: The legal team successfully structured and executed convertible note investments, raising $25 million and $13 million in capital. 
  • Debt Financing: The legal team played a key role in securing $50 million in debt financing through syndicated facilities. 
  • Securitized Financing: The legal team has facilitated securitized financing transactions in Tanzania ($125 million) and Nigeria ($7.4 million), utilizing off-balance sheet facilities. 
  • General: providing strategic legal counsel to the Group, proactively managing risks, and ensuring adherence to all regulatory requirements. 

  

Which recent political, economic, or regulatory changes have impacted your work the most in the past year?  

 The past year presented certain economic challenges for the company, similar to many other companies globally. Adverse macroeconomic conditions, including interest rate fluctuations and foreign currency devaluation in our core markets of Nigeria and Kenya, impacted the company’s operations and necessitated the company to take strategic action to ensure operational continuity and foster growth. The legal team played a pivotal role in navigating these challenges, actively participating in the fundraising process and successfully securing the additional capital required to sustain operations and facilitate future growth. This involvement went beyond simply securing funds, it fostered a collaborative environment internally and ensured compliance with all contractual obligations and relevant regulatory requirements. 

  

Are there any causes, business or otherwise, that you are passionate about? 

 I am passionate about corporate law. Every day I aspire to become a strategic business partner and provide legal solutions to my clients (the client being the company).  My objective is to establish a strong legal foundation and a culture of compliance for businesses throughout their lifecycle, from initial formation to profitability. This experience becomes even better when it is combined with initiatives that generate positive social impact. This allows me to further contribute meaningfully to the success of both individual businesses and the broader community.  

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