KO Associates is a Kenyan law firm based in Nairobi. The firm is led by its founders, Stephen Kiptinness and Crispine Odhiambo, and is a member of Citadel Law Africa. The firm has a particular focus on asset acquisition and project related work.
KO Associates is currently advising on the financing of the Lordship Africa 88 Nairobi Condominium Tower Project. The building is set to be the tallest residential building in Africa. The team, led by Stephen Kiptinness, is advising on the transaction structure, the financing agreements and documentation, stakeholder engagement and negotiation, and risk mitigation and deal execution. While the project is ongoing, the firm prepared the term sheet, subscription, and shareholders agreements in January 2024.
The team is also advising Kenya Climate Ventures Limited (KCV) on its launch of a US$25 million Impact Fund. The firm is acting as lead counsel and advising on the fund structuring, regulatory compliance, legal documentation, and fundraising documents. The transaction is currently ongoing and led by partner Cripsine Odhiambo.
National Bank of Kenya Limited; Equity Bank of Kenya; Kentegra Biotechnology Limited; National Health Insurance Fund; Insurance Regulatory Authority; Kenya Climate Ventures Limited; Tawi Fresh Limited; Water Sector Trust Fund; Jubilee Insurance Limited; Spire Bank Limited; Nairobi City County Government ; Savo Project Developers; Farmdo Energy Kenya Limited; FSD Africa/Centre for Affordable Housing in Africa
“The law firm KO Associates stands out on account of its expertise in corporate, commercial and banking work. They provide end to end service and advisory services with a team rich in diversity and depth.” (Banking & Finance)
“Their turn around time and the professionalism exercised.” (Banking & Finance)
“We appreciate their knowledge of key legal and regulatory issues relating to capital markets and fund structuring in Kenya.” (Investment Funds)
“We appreciate their awareness of investor preferences and ability to anticipate areas for negotiations with investors.” (Investment Funds)
“We are satisfied with the attention to detail and cocreation through consultation. The firm was also pro-active in giving advisory beyond the limited scope on issues that may have had an impact on the transaction and has subject matter expertise.” (Investment Funds)
“Professionalism, extensive knowledge and good communication.” (Leveraged Finance)
“KO is a firm of true professionals we thoroughly enjoy working with. We often engage with KO on complicated assignments that involve large interdisciplinary teams (economists, finance professionals, lawyers, and engineers). KO complete high-quality work in fast timeframes and manage complex tasks with competing priorities.” (Project Development)
“The firm has an in
depth understanding of the institutional and legal framework governing county infrastructure development” (Project Finance)
“Brian Odongo is an excellent communicator, with deep knowledge of the law and practical nuances necessary to protect client interests.” (Banking & Finance)
“Brian Odongo’s subject expertise and strong interpersonal skills.” (Investment Funds)
“Brian Odongo has a deep understanding of our business and provides valuable updates on new trends.” (Investment Funds)
“Crispine Odhiambo is very responsive, and great in client and stakeholder management as well as problem solving.” (Investment Funds)
“Crispine Odhiambo has great depth and subject matter expertise, great attention to detail and keen on end to end advisory on instructions given. He is also very courteous and a team player.” (Investment funds)
“Crispine Odhiambo is professional and knowledgeable.” (Leveraged Finance)
“Crispine Odhiambo is an excellent communicator and can present complex ideas and situations in an organized and logical way.” (Project Development)
“We appreciate
Crispine Odhiambo’s client engagement.” (Project Finance)
“Having worked with Ken Rutere previously, I can confirm he is very outgoing and hardworking, always giving clients a listening ear and walking with them the journey from beginning to end.” (Banking & Finance)
Testimonials 2023-2024
“KO Associates is highly professional in their work. Not only do they communicate professionally, but they also handle the assignment entrusted to them with utmost professionalism. The firm has a highly industrious team that ensures that tasks assigned to the firm are handled on time and efficiently. The firm handles tasks diligently – going out of their way to ensure the job gets done well and promptly responding to concerns and queries.” (Banking & Finance)
“Integrity and professionalism in their operations.” (Investment Funds)
“They provide a personal service, timely responses and are cost-effective.” (Leveraged Finance)
“KO Associates is highly knowledgeable in the legal field, and their team members are experts in their respective areas of practice. They are efficient in their work, ensuring that deadlines are met and communication is clear. Additionally, their team is highly responsive to our needs, providing us with timely and insightful guidance whenever we require it. Overall, their positive attributes include their expertise, efficiency and responsiveness.” (M&A)
“KO's team have a deep understanding of the Kenyan Energy Act and how it is enforced in Kenya. This combined with their deep relationships with the government agency stakeholders facilitates for a much easier dialogue to process our requirements with the various agencies.” (Project Development)
“Thorough analysis on key legal issues. Going the extra mile on providing advice on related issues.” (Project Finance)
“KOA was able to undertake this role very efficiently, which resulted in buy-in by all relevant stakeholder during the project close out. KOA's professionalism was key in ensuring that they delivered the assignment as per agreed timelines and their agreed deliverables. They were accommodative and flexible to expand the scope of the assignment at no cost to ensure quality delivery of the assignment to the satisfaction of our partner. They are responsive and take feedback positively.” (Project Finance)
Abigail Namasaka
“She is keen on detail, professional and confident in her work. This was critical during collection of views from various stakeholders in the county and documentation of evidence.”
Crispine Odhiambo
“Crispine Odhiambo is a highly skilled lawyer with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in corporate law. He is incredibly responsive and always goes above and beyond to ensure that our needs are met. His attention to detail and ability to identify and mitigate potential risks have been invaluable to us. One of Crispine Odhiambo's greatest strengths is his ability to communicate complex legal concepts in a way that is easily understandable. He is a great listener and always takes the time to understand our concerns and needs. His dedication to providing exceptional service has made him an invaluable member of our team. We have worked with Crispine Odhiambo for over eight years now, and throughout that time he has consistently provided us with top-notch legal services. His work is always thorough, timely and efficient. We have complete trust in his abilities and expertise.”
"Extremely knowledgeable about Kenyan energy law and always keen to support client meetings with stakeholders to ensure full transparency on any engagement.”
"Crispine is professional and highly committed. He steers the team with the utmost dedication and ensures that our tasks are handled by committed professionals. He also directly participates in the tasks, offering invaluable guidance and technical input.”
"Thorough and concise in his analysis and advice to clients.”
"He is professional, thorough, creative, articulate, a risk manager and a team player.”
Brian Odongo
“Responsive and practical.”
Ken Rutere
“Ken is a very sharp commercial lawyer. He is always full of constructive suggestions and fights for the client's position.”
Agnes Sajina
“A good listener and very professional in her work.”
