Crispine Odhiambo

Senior Partner

+254 (20) 2713977

crispine@koassociates.co.ke

Crispine Odhiambo is a Founding Partner at KO Associates LLP and leads the Firm’s Projects (Energy & Infrastructure) and Corporate M&A Practices, with extensive experience in the African market. He is a highly respected Commercial lawyer and financial services legal expert with extensive experience in mergers & acquisition, finance, investments, project development and PE. He is recognized by Chambers and Partners, IFLR1000, Legal 500 and other legal directories as a Highly Recognized legal practioner in Kenya . His Projects expertise covers project development and appraisal including legal due diligence and structuring advice, Project Finance, Public -Private Partnerships (PPPs) as well as public utilities institutional and governance reforms and transitions. He has advised on many headline infrastructure developments, financing and acquisitions in East Africa including several Geothermal and Solar Energy generation projects with a combined capacity of 310MW, first mover roads PPP programme in Kenya, USD. 20 Billion LAPSSET Corridor Development project, Proposed Mombasa and Lamu Port Concessions, development of Konza technology city (Konza Technopolis), and development of four Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in East Africa. He is a member of the Law Society of Kenya, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of Kenya and International Commission of Jurist.

Transaction Highlights

• Strategic Legal Advisor in the development of a Kenya National Smart Grid Network deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) Platform and advanced data analytics under PPP Arrangements at a cost of USD. 350 Million
• Legal Advisor in the development of LAPPSET Port and Lamu SEZ Public Private Partnerships (PPP) Projects
• M&A mandate in the acquisition of Superfluid Labs Holdings and Advancly Technologies
• M&A Mandate in acquisition of Jos Hansen by Adrian Group Limited
• Farmland Co Ltd (Japan) and Astonfield Solesa Kenya Limited Joint Venture
• Legal Advisor in the development, financing, operation and maintenance of the 2nd Nyali Bridge connecting Nyali on the North Coast Mainland side to the Island side of Mombasa County.
• Legal Advisor in the Project Development of a Proposed Olkaria 140 MW Geothermal Power Project through PPP arrangements
• Equity Investment by Africa50 into Poa Internet, a low-cost broadband internet provider in Kenya
• Early-stage investment by various VC firms including Greentech (Germany), Green House Capital (Nigeria) and EchoVC in Superfluid Labs Holdings (Mauritius), a data analytics and AI firm that provides credit scoring and market intelligence services to financial service providers
• Financing advisory including legal due diligence, governance reviews and legal due diligence to early and growth stage firms in the Agri-business industry as a Business Advisory Service Provider (BASP) under USAID’s Kenya Investment Mechanism (KIM) programme
• Transaction Advisor in the Project Development of Kilifi Eco-Industrial Park as part of a private Special Economic Zone in Kilifi County in the East Africa coast
• Legal Advisor in Project Finance by a public pension fund in a 1050MW Greenfield power plant in Lamu, Republic of Kenya.
• Legal Advisor, Study and Analysis for the World Bank’s Flagship Report “Fiscal Costs and Risks from Infrastructure in an Era of High Debt Vulnerabilities”.
• Legal Expert in the BRT implementation framework including the formulation of BRT regulations, BOC Structure for BRT Line 2 and legal feasibility and implementation requirements of a Leasing Program for the BRT Fleet.
• Legal Transaction Advisor in the USD 265 Million Government of Kenya (GOK) Digital Learning Program (DLP) which involved procurement of Devices to provide 1.2 million digital devices for both learners and teachers across the country.
• Legal Expert in the development of Project Screening Tool and Preparation of Project Concept Notes for the PPP Unit 15 Priority PPP Projects;

Education

• Master’s in International studies, University of Nairobi (2012)
• Certificate in International Law, Cambridge University (2006)
• Post-Graduate Diploma in Law, Kenya School of Law (2005)
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of Nairobi (2004)

 Languages

• English
• Kiswahili
• French

Countries of work experience

• Kenya
• United Kingdom
• Tanzania
• Uganda

 Citizenship

• Kenyan

Chambers Global 2025 Review
Provided by Chambers Global
Eminent Practitioner

Crispine Odhiambo’s expertise encompasses renewable energy as well as infrastructure projects. He also advises clients on PPPs and is regularly sought out to advise on the financing of projects.

“Crispine is extremely skilled at understanding what clients require and at providing tailored, practical solutions that meet their needs and that effectively move things forward”

“Crispine Odhiambo has a confident demeanor that exudes from his deep understanding of the energy regulatory frameworks in Kenya.”

“Crispine Odhiambo provides very good quality service, pragmatism and an understanding of international best practice”

Individual Editorial

Crispine Odhiambo’s expertise encompasses renewable energy as well as infrastructure projects. He also advises clients on PPPs and is regularly sought out to advise on the financing of projects.

Strengths

“Crispine is extremely skilled at understanding what clients require and at providing tailored, practical solutions that meet their needs and that effectively move things forward.”

“Crispine Odhiambo has a confident demeanour that exudes from his deep understanding of the energy regulatory frameworks in Kenya”.

“Crispine Odhiambo provides very good quality service, pragmatism and an understanding of international best practice”

Client feedback

“Crispine Odhiambo is a highly skilled lawyer with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in corporate law. He is incredibly responsive and always goes above and beyond to ensure that our needs are met. His attention to detail and ability to identify and mitigate potential risks have been invaluable to us. One of Crispine Odhiambo’s greatest strengths is his ability to communicate complex legal concepts in a way that is easily understandable. He is a great listener and always takes the time to understand our concerns and needs. His dedication to providing exceptional service has made him an invaluable member of our team. We have worked with Crispine Odhiambo for over eight years now, and throughout that time he has consistently provided us with top-notch legal services. His work is always thorough, timely and efficient. We have complete trust in his abilities and expertise.”

“Extremely knowledgeable about Kenyan energy law and always keen to support client meetings with stakeholders to ensure full transparency on any engagement.”

“Crispine is professional and highly committed. He steers the team with the utmost dedication and ensures that our tasks are handled by committed professionals. He also directly participates in the tasks, offering invaluable guidance and technical input.”

“Thorough and concise in his analysis and advice to clients.”

“He is professional, thorough, creative, articulate, a risk manager and a team player.”

‘Crispine Odhiambo’s dedication to the craft of law isn’t just evident in the results he achieves, but in the way he navigates the complex legal landscape with confidence. What strikes me most is his unique ability to demystify intricate legal jargon and scenarios, translating them into actionable insights for his clients. Beyond his legal expertise, he is approachable and genuinely cares for his clients’ best interests.’

‘Crispine Odhiambo has supported us immensely, sometimes on short notice; all the while delivering great value and professionalism.’