Brian Muchiri

Brian has extensive experience acting for commercial banks, development finance institutions, private equity funds and corporates on a wide range of financing transactions, including corporate finance, trade finance, acquisition finance and structured lending. His work regularly involves advising on cross-border facilities, security structuring and regulatory requirements across multiple jurisdictions in East Africa and beyond.

In addition to his finance practice, Brian advises on mergers and acquisitions across diverse sectors, including energy, financial services, telecommunications, agribusiness, healthcare and manufacturing. He is experienced in advising on acquisitions, divestments, strategic investments and corporate restructurings, and is frequently involved in complex legal due diligence exercises and the negotiation and implementation of transaction documentation.

Brian is recognised for his commercially focused and pragmatic approach to transactions, and for his ability to manage complex matters efficiently while aligning legal advice with clients’ strategic objectives. He has been recognised by The Legal 500 EMEA as a rising star for Banking, Finance & Capital Markets, reflecting his growing reputation in the market.

Brian began his legal career as a Candidate Attorney in 2014 and was appointed as an Associate in 2017 at one of the law firms in Kenya and later joined another firm as an Associate in 2019. Brian joined Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr in April 2021 and was promoted to Senior Associate in April 2022. 

Brian was appointed as a Partner in April 2025.

Finance and Banking

• Advised International Finance Corporation and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A. on a USD 285 million corporate financing facility to Eni Kenya BV for general agribusiness-related corporate purposes.
• Advised Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A. on a USD 130 million facility to the Government of Kenya.
• Acting for a large Kenyan commercial bank with respect to its USD 85 million facility to a leading sugar manufacturer in Kenya.
• Advised Absa Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking division on a USD 60 million trade finance facility to a Switzerland-based borrower.
• Advising a Pan-African lender with respect to its USD 50 million convertible loan to a company listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
• Acting for the largest African banking group by assets offering a range of banking and related financial services across sub-Saharan Africa, in connection with a financing of a USD 34 million facility for the acquisition of a HFO power company in Kenya.
• Advised Nedbank London Branch on a USD 15.2 million development and term loan facility to ALP West Two Kenya, including revising and updating the security package, preparing a memorandum of variation of charge, and amending the lease.
• Advised Nedbank London Branch on a USD 15 million development and term loan facility to Hemingways Nairobi Limited.
• Acting for the largest commercial bank in Africa by number of customers, in connection with their financing of USD 15 million revolving working capital line of credit to payment services provider.
• Advising a UK-based pay-as-you-go solar energy provider with respect to the restructuring of existing debt and the uptake of KES 1.6 billion (~USD 10.5 million) from a Tier 1 Kenyan bank.
• Acting for a top tier Kenyan commercial bank with respect to its USD 9 million facility to a leading sugar manufacturer in Kenya.
• Acting for a Pan-African lender with respect to its USD 6.6 million revolving credit facility to a chain of hospitals in Kenya.
• Part of the team Advising the first electric bus company in Kenya on a USD 5 million senior unsecured loan
• Acting for a French-based multilateral lender with respect to its multi-million-dollar facility to a food processing company in Kenya.
• Acting for two (2) of the largest multilateral lenders in the US and Europe with respect to their multi-million-dollar structured finance transaction with respect to pay-as-you-go solar provider in Kenya
• Advising a Mauritian fund on the provision of a multi-million-dollar inventory facility to a Kenyan agribusiness start-up.
• Advising the Kenyan branch of a US-based commercial bank with respect to the provision of a multi-million Committed Revolving USD Credit Facility to a large telecommunications company in Kenya.
• Advising a leading East African leasing company with respect to its proposed issuance of a secured, ring-fenced corporate bond listed on the Unquoted Securities Platform of the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Corporate and Commercial

• Advising PPC International Holdings on the proposed sale of its shares in Cimerwa, a Rwanda-based cement company, listed on the Rwanda Stock Exchange.
• Advised a French multinational electric utility company with respect to its proposed acquisition of 100 MW renewable energy power project in Kenya.
• Advised a Pan-African financial group with respect to its proposed acquisition of two (2) leading Kenyan general and life insurers. The transaction involved undertaking a legal due diligence over the target entities as well as reviewing and amending of the share purchase agreement.
• Advising an independent power producing company on a strategic divestment in the renewable energy sector.
• Advised an agricultural produce processor in relation to its proposed acquisition of a leading tea producer in Kenya, with operating subsidiaries in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. The transaction involved undertaking a legal due diligence over the target entities, reviewing and amending of the share purchase agreement, tax deed and produce supply contracts. 
• Advising a Mauritius-based energy investor with respect to the proposed sale of its majority shareholding in a solar energy project company.
• Acting for a Dutch private equity firm with respect to its acquisition of a minority stake in a dairy processing company in Kenya.
• Part of the team that advised LBO France in undertaking a legal due diligence over a target entity, this included advising on conversion of an existing convertible loan, preparing the share subscription agreement and shareholders agreement, drafting a non-compete agreement for the founders, and amending the articles of association of the target undertakings
• Part of the team that acted for Nordic Impact Funds (NIF) in undertaking a legal due diligence over a target entity, which involved reviewing share subscription agreements, shareholders agreement, amending the memorandum and articles of association and regulatory compliance and on its investment in a confidential Kenyan agricultural business.
• Acting for a leading France-based global utility company through conducting a due diligence on a company involved in the generation of renewable energy, and specifically on its Kenyan subsidiary, with an aim of acquiring the entity.
• Advising a consortium of private equity funds on all aspects of its acquisition of an equity interest in a Kenyan Bank and an injection of additional capital to increase the bank’s capital base.
• Advising a Dubai-based private equity fund with respect to its USD 50 million acquisition of a chain of hospitals in Kenya.
• Acting for a US based private equity fund with respect to the acquisition of a controlling interest in a Tier 2 bank in Kenya.
• Acting for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in India in its acquisition of a 51% stake in a Kenyan pharmaceutical manufacturing company.
• Acting for a Mauritius-based private equity firm with respect to its acquisition of four (4) private hospitals in Kenya.
• Acting for a South African private equity firm with respect to its acquisition of the one of the largest asset managers in Kenya
• Acting for a Norway-based software company with respect to its acquisition of 100% stake in a Kenyan telecommunications company.
• Part of the team that acted for the administrator with respect to the distressed sale of shares and one of the largest cement manufacturers in East Africa
• Assisting in the corporate restructuring of Kenya’s largest bank by assets and market share.

• The Legal 500 EMEA 2023-2026 mentioned Brian for Banking, Finance & Capital Markets
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2026 mentioned Brian for Commercial, Corporate and M&A
• IFLR1000 2025 recognised Brian as a 'notable practitioner' in Banking and Finance, Projects.