Rödl & Partner celebrates official opening of Nairobi office

​Nairobi, 3 November 2016. With the official opening of its office in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, Rödl & Partner, the professional services firm, continues its successful strategy of international expansion. The Nairobi office will be managed by Charles MacKenzie who has worked in Africa for more than three decades as a tax and legal advisor. He is a chartered accountant and for many years was a partner at EY (or predecessor companies) with proven expertise in a number of fields and in particular in the area of M&A and financing. In addition to MacKenzie, the management team in Nairobi consists of Judy Chebet, Amar Mehta and George Maina.

 
At the official opening of the office on October 13, 2016, Rödl & Partner welcomed around 150 invited guests from the German and Kenyan business communities, including the ambassadors of Germany, Italy, Portugal and the EU, the Kenyan finance and economics ministers, high ranking company representatives and representatives from various chambers of commerce. The celebrations included a press reception at the Sankara Hotel, three expert panels and a cocktail reception including dinner at the exclusive Zen Garden restaurant.

 
“Kenya is one of the most attractive African growth markets”, says Prof. Dr. Christian Rödl, chairman of the board and Managing Partner at Rödl & Partner. “The Kenyan economy has enjoyed above average growth for many years and especially in the last five years has had very robust development. Thanks to promising new sectors such as IT, energy, real estate and mobile banking the investment climate is also particularly positive. We are happy that we are now represented with our own office in the strategically important city of Nairobi which will enable us to support our clients with our interdisciplinary services in a market with excellent prospects.” 

Kenya is the largest economy in eastern and central Africa. The Kenyan government is focused on improving the infrastructure in the country. The interest in renewable energy has also grown in recent years. Furthermore, the location is becoming increasingly important for providers of financial services. Therefore, German companies see attractive prospects for growth in these sectors through an expansion to Kenya.

 
“Kenya represents an excellent base for German companies who wish to set up operations in the region of eastern and central Africa”, says Dr. José A. Campos Nave, Managing Partner at Rödl & Partner responsible for advisory in Africa. “Yet despite the dynamic economic development, investments in Kenya involve a range of challenges for foreign investors. These include a relatively low level of information, high real estate prices, weaknesses in the infrastructure and problems associated with corruption. A strong partner with a good local network can give companies establishing business in Kenya an important competitive edge.”

 
The office in Kenya allows Rödl & Partner to open up a further key market on the African continent. The professional services firm has been represented in Johannesburg and Cape Town since 2008. Furthermore, in April 2016 a partnership was established in Lagos, Nigeria, the most important west African business metropolis, with the Nigerian consulting and auditing company WFO LP.
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