Matthew is a Senior Associate in the Bowmans Nairobi office and a member of the Projects, Energy and Infrastructure and Mergers & Acquisitions practice groups.

Matthew is recognised as a leading luminary lawyer and has extensive experience acting on: a broad range of project, energy & infrastructure transactions, corporate & commercial transactions, a strong background in banking & project finance transactions across a range of sectors and a rapidly developing environment, natural resources, climate change and carbon contracts practice.

He has been involved in advising on a wide range of transactions including energy, mining, oil & gas and infrastructure projects, corporate and finance transactions, public-private partnership transactions, syndicated lending’s, debt and equity capital markets transactions, project finance and regulatory compliance. He has acted for a variety of clients including multilateral institutions, international and local banks, development finance institutions and various local and international corporates.   

He has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Hons.) from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Management from the United States International University – Africa and a Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, a member of the Law Society of Kenya and the East African Law Society.

Relevant Experience

* Experience gained prior to joining Bowmans

Energy and Project Finance Experience

• Starsight Premier Energy Services Limited on various legal services in relation to C&I solar projects being implemented by the client. This included drafting agreements related to C&I solar projects including a power purchase agreement, operating lease and asset finance agreement, review of EPC and O&M agreements and providing comprehensive tax structuring advice.
• Frontier Energy on the development of a C&I project for one of Kenya’s largest cement manufacturers.
• Vendor due diligence on various projects in readiness for their proposed sale.
• Engie SA on the sale of 100% of the shares held by Engie in Engie Afrique SAS and Engie Energies Services SA, including Engie Energy Access Kenya Limited through which Engie operates the Engie Energy Access business.
• ARCH Emerging Markets Partners Limited on all aspects of a proposed investment in a mini-grid platform in Kenya.
• Milele Power Limited on the acquisition of KP&P Africa B.V and Sandpiper Limited’s stake in the Lake Turkana Wind Project.
• Biotherm Energy (Pty) Limited on the proposed acquisition of Alten Renewable Energy Developments B.V’s stake in the Hardap Project in Namibia (47MW) and Cuamba Project in Mozambique (39MW).
• Total Eren on a proposed acquisition of a Wind Project.
• Ol Pejeta Conservancy on its renewable energy (captive power) contractual arrangements.
• IBL Energy & STOA in the acquisition of Equator Energy.
• GridX on its development and financing of renewable energy arrangements with KTDA.
• Voltalia on the development of the 40MW Kopere Solar PV Project.
• Advising on acquisition of various renewable energy projects including reviewing PPAs, Government Support Letters, land documents and regulatory matters.
• Advising on the set up of a captive power project in Kenya which utilise renewable energy sources for the manufacture of green hydrogen and ammonia.
• Advised an independent power producer on its development and financing of a 50 MW wind power plant in Kenya.*
• Advised an international financial institution and various State agencies and regulators on the formulation, implementation and structuring of a renewable energy auction policy in Kenya.*
• Advised and represented a syndicate of international lenders in a secured project financing of a 40 MW solar power plant project.*
• Advised a syndicate of international lenders in a multimillion dollar secured project financing of two 40 MW solar projects.*
• Advised and represented a syndicate of international lenders in a multimillion dollar secured project financing of a 35 MW geothermal power project.*
• Advised an independent power producer on its development and financing of a multimillion dollar secured 40 MW solar power project in Kenya.*

Banking & Finance, Sovereign Debt and Corporate Commercial Experience

• Advised various clients in various commercial sectors in lending transactions, project finance transactions, capital markets transactions, PPPs, Mergers and Acquisitions and a broad range of corporate and commercial transactions and general corporate advisory.
• Advised and represented the Joint Lead Managers in the 2019 and 2018 multibillion dollar sovereign bond issues by the Kenyan Government.*
• Advised and represented a development financial institution in its multimillion dollar cross-border financing of a Kenyan group company.*
• Advised a leading international firm in its acquisition of a majority stake and entry into a Kenyan partnership over a series of transactions including restructuring of the partnership into a limited liability partnership.*
• Advised an international investment fund in its multimillion dollar financing of a large Kenyan financial company.*
• Advised an international development financial institution in its multimillion dollar financing of a large Kenyan manufacturing company.*
• Advised a trade and development financial institution in its multimillion dollar sovereign financing transaction.*

PPP and Infrastructure Projects Experience

• Africa50 and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited who have been mandated by the Government of Kenya to develop, structure, finance and build certain high priority transmission lines on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis in collaboration with the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) (the national electricity transmission utility). This project will be the first privately owned transmission line and the first transmission line PPP in Kenya’s history.
• Advising Twiga on the development of the Galana-Kulalu project on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis in collaboration with the Government of Kenya.
• Advising a consortium of Shandong Hi-Speed, Hass Infra Limited and GVR Infra Projects Limited on Lot 3 of the Kenya Roads Annuity Program. The Lot 3 project scope includes the design, construction, commissioning, financing, operation and maintenance of the Modogashe – Habaswein – Samatar and Rhamu – Mandera (A13 Roads).
• Advising a joint development group on the development of a market first private sector led wastewater infrastructure project in Kenya on a microgrid basis.
• Advising Solar Water Solutions Oy Ltd and Climate Fund Managers on the structuring and development of a water supply project including advising on the regulatory and licensing framework, water rights and supply, environmental compliance and power generation, determination of and advice on various project rights (including land and water rights of the project), establishment and structuring of the most appropriate PPP set up of the project.

Environment, Climate Change, Natural Resources & Mining Experience

• Advising on the implementation and roll out of a multicountry agroforestry programme to restore the land and livelihoods of over two million vulnerable small-scale farming households and enhance the sequestration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from changes in land management practices across six countries: Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Ethiopia.
• Advising on the implementation and roll out of a sustainable grazing programme to restore the land and livelihoods of over two million vulnerable small-scale farming households and enhance the sequestration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from changes in land management practices.
• Advising on the set up a platform for carbon assessments and verification and possible set up of a carbon registry in Kenya.
• Advising on the implementation and implications of the climate change (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
• Advising on an ongoing JCM carbon project and rights under a bilateral agreement for the international transfer of carbon credits.
• Advising the Kenya Joint Venture (led by Tullow Oil, including Africa Oil and Total) on various legal and regulatory aspects of their petroleum sharing contracts.
• Advising Africa Oil on various aspects of their operations in Kenya.
• Advising various clients in the mining sector including development of mining projects and commercial transactions in the mining sector.
• Advising on Free Prior Informed Consent matters in relation to various carbon projects.

Awards

• The African Legal Awards: 2021 Rising Star Award Finalist
• The African Legal Awards: Winner 2020 Private Practice Most Promising Newcomer Award.
• Law Society of Kenya – Nairobi Legal Awards: 2020 Young Lawyer of the Year 1st Runner Up Award
• The African Legal Awards: Finalist 2019 In-House and Private Practice Most Promising Newcomer Award
• Law Society of Kenya – Nairobi Legal Awards: 2019 Young Lawyer of the Year 1st Runner Up Award

• Africa: Recent developments in carbon markets
• Kenya: Development of Carbon Project and Trading Legal Framework: Enactment of the Climate Change (Amendment) Act, 2023
• Kenya: Reflections from the 2023 Kenya Mining Week
• Kenya: Revised Climate Change (Amendment) Bill advances the carbon trading agenda
• What The Carbon – Series 2: Kenya opens a path to carbon trading: Proposed Climate Change (Amendment) Bill, 2023
• Kenya: The question of legality on the revocation of carbon credit agreements
• Kenya’s Mining Outlook 2023 – Current Status & Future Possibilities
• Kenya: What the carbon – series 1: a snapshot of the recent developments in Kenya’s carbon space
• Kenya: The road to COP27 – Actions towards a greener future for Kenya
• Kenya: Sustainable Practices Towards a Circular Economy: Introduction of the Sustainable Waste Management Act, 2022
• Expansion of electricity access in Kenya: Proposed new regulations on mini-grids
• Kenya: The 2021-2030 least cost power development plan, introduction of the 2021 renewable energy auction policy and the 2021 FIT policy
• Bowmans and Simmons & Simmons collaborate on a Clean Energy tool