Stella Situma

Stella has acted for more than twenty licensed Kenyan commercial banks, as well as international lenders and private equity investors, across sectors including renewable energy, manufacturing, real estate, oil and gas and SMEs. Her experience includes the preparation and registration of complex security packages, debentures, charges over immovable property, share pledges and Shariah-compliant security structures. She is frequently instructed on high-value facilities, syndicated and bilateral lending transactions, and distressed lending scenarios involving intercreditor arrangements and enforcement considerations.

In the energy sector, Stella has advised on significant renewable energy projects, including large-scale wind and solar developments, where her role has included land rights structuring, lease and easement agreements and project-related security documentation. She is known for delivering technically robust, pragmatic and commercially focused advice, particularly in transactions involving regulatory complexity and evolving land and securities frameworks.

Stella is recognised by leading international legal research bodies, including The Legal 500 EMEA, for her expertise in Banking and Finance and Real Estate and Construction, reflecting her strong standing in the Kenyan market for complex finance and security-related work.

Stella commenced her career as an associate with the esteemed legal firm of Iseme Kamau & Maema Advocates (DLA Piper). She later joined CMS Daly Inamdar Advocates in 2017 and in 2019 she was promoted to Partner in the Banking and Finance and Real Estate Departments of CMS.

In April 2024, Stella joined Kieti Law LLP CDH as a Partner.

Finance and Banking

• Acted for a leading commercial bank in connection with the preparation and perfection of various security documents created by borrowers operating in various sectors including manufacturing, consumer goods, SMEs and construction.
• Acted for a fast-growing venture backed climate technology company headquartered in Mauritius with a subsidiary in Kenya in connection with a significant funding from First Rand Bank Limited by reviewing the Memorandum of Deposit of Shares and related documentation on behalf of the client.
• Acted for a leading private equity firm based in Johannesburg South Africa that was investing through subscription of preference shares in a microlending entity headquartered in Mauritius with subsidiaries across East Africa by reviewing the Preference Subscription Share Agreement from a Kenyan law perspective and the preparation of a corporate guarantee by the Kenyan subsidiary.
• Advised a US based lender on the enforcement options available to it following the inability of two Kenyan company borrowers to repay their obligations including advising on the steps to be taken given the existence of an Interlenders Agreement between the client and a Kenyan-based lender.
• Acted for a top tier commercial bank in the preparation and registration of a specific debenture by a leading oil marketer within the East African region to secure a facility of United States Dollars One Hundred and Twenty Million (USD 120,000,000.00).
• Acted for a foreign lender specializing in financing renewable energy projects in their first ever solar finance project in Kenya in the preparation and registration of a specific debenture over solar panels and related equipment situate on garden city, one of Kenya's leading retail centres.
• Acted for a top tier commercial bank in the preparation and perfection of securities to secure borrowing of Kshs.500 million over immovable property which comprised serviced Apartments.
• Advised a foreign lender in connection with the preparation and registration of a specific debenture over the borrower's assets to be acquired in Kenya.
• Acted for an investment bank in the preparation of a Shariah compliant Memorandum of Pledge of Shares in respect of facilities to be advanced to a borrower involved in the sale and importation of petroleum products.
• Acted on behalf of various Kenyan commercial banks in the preparation of Shariah compliant security documents in the form of specific debentures and charges over immovable property.
• Acted on behalf of a top tier bank in the takeover of facilities advanced to a borrower that was in default of its obligations. The transaction also involved the creation of a charge over immovable property which had been listed in the gazette notice on conversion following the digitization initiatives that had been introduced by the Ministry of Lands. She ably negotiated undertaking terms with the taking over banks that facilitated payment of the outstanding sums prior to the completion of the conversion formalities and the registration of the debenture in favour of the bank that was taking over the facilities.
• Acted on behalf of a leading commercial bank in the preparation of a joint debenture by two associated companies in favour of the bank to secure the sum of Kenya Shillings Three Hundred Million (Kshs. 300 million).

Energy

• Part of the team that acted on behalf of a Fortune 500 company in connection with a 100 mw windshore farm in the Kipeto area in Kajiado. She drafted the 57 lease agreements that were signed by the land owners and was also responsible for the preparation and registration of Easement Agreements and Agreements for the sale and purchase of land required for the project.

• The Legal 500 EMEA 2022-2025 mentioned Stella for Banking, Finance & Capital Markets
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2022-2024 ranked Stella as a key lawyer in Real Estate and Construction.
• IFLR1000 2025 recognised Stella as a 'notable practitioner' in Banking and Finance.