The Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment has expanded its global reach by opening its first African office, in Nairobi, Kenya.

The CISI has been working in Africa since 2012, offering exams and membership across the continent with regulatory approval for its exams in 10 countries, but this is the first permanent CISI-run office.

The new office for the City of London-based CISI is in the Westlands district of Nairobi and will be led by Kimacia Gitau ACSI. 

Mr Kimacia will be working alongside Alice Jurjens who has been working on a part-time basis with the CISI in Kenya for the last 18 months.

The CISI is a professional has 45,000 members around the world in 104 countries. Its members work mainly in wealth management, capital markets and Financial Planning and in the UK one of its roles is to run the Certified Financial Planner professional designation.

The CISI has had an active presence in Kenya since the signing of an Memorandum of Understanding with the Capital Markets Authority in 2014. Since then CISI’s exams have formed a key part of the CMA’s Securities Industry Certification Programme.

 In 2015 CMA staff were the first group in Kenya to pass the CISI International Introduction to Securities and Investment (Kenya) exam, shortly followed by the Regulations and Market Practice (Kenya) exam. 

In January this year CISI held its first Awards Ceremony to celebrate the success of the CMA’s Certification Programme.

To date over 2,500 CISI exams have been taken in Kenya, with pass rates for the first module significantly above the global average, says the CISI. 

Helena Wilson, Chartered MCSI, assistant director CISI Global Business Development, said: “We are delighted to have opened our office in Kenya, which has been possible owing to the excellent encouragement and support  from the CMA and others.

“The CISI is proud to partner with the CMA and to help establish the Kenyan capital markets as a centre of excellence as well as a gateway for regional and international capital flows.”

Kimacia Gitau ACSI said: “I am excited to be working with the CISI, with the aim of actively promoting the benefits of holding CISI exams, building a membership network and community in Kenya and, more widely, in the East African community.”