Ribin N. Ondwari
Kenyan lawyer Ribin N. Ondwari has built a reputation for turning complex deals into smooth closings before most peers finish their briefs. A Moi University alumnus, he rocketed onto the scene by clinching the national Young Lawyer of the Year Award during his first year in practice, an accolade that foreshadowed the pace of his ascent. Today he is a partner at Ashitiva Advocates LLP, where he heads the Real Estate, Banking and Financial Services practice, steering multibillion-shilling financings, capital-markets issuances and energy-sector transactions while guiding clients through Kenya’s evolving insolvency regime. A year-long secondment as in-house counsel at Standard Chartered Bank deepened his grasp of risk appetites on both sides of the table, helping him craft lender-friendly security structures now referenced across the industry.
Beyond the boardroom, Ondwari was elected to the council of the Law Society of Kenya (Nairobi branch), where he champions streamlined court technology and mandatory pro bono hours for junior advocates. He also mentors budding lawyers through firm-run clinics, insisting that “technical excellence means little without public service.” Next on his docket: expanding Ashitiva’s regional footprint and shaping policy that will unlock affordable housing finance, proof that his legal craft is geared toward impact, not just precedent.