Professional History: Lydia is the Group Company Secretary and Head of Tax for Equity Group Holding PLC (EGH), a financial services conglomerate headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with a presence in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia. As the Group Head of Tax, Lydia provides tax solutions geared towards the identification and proactive management and mitigation of tax risks. She ensures all the entities have proper sustainable tax governance and compliance, as shown in the tax transparency reporting for the organization.

As the Group Company Secretary, she oversees governance, regulatory and legal compliance in all 13 subsidiaries within the Group and advises on corporate governance, mergers and acquisition, capital markets and regulatory compliance.

Prior to EGH, she served as a Senior Manager in charge of international tax and training at Ernst & Young East Africa, and earlier, as a Manager at KPMG East Africa, where she represented clients in stakeholder engagements on tax legislation, policies, and regulations before the National Assembly, the National Treasury, and other key government stakeholders. She made it easier to do business in the country and advocated for best business practices to ensure sustainable economic growth.

She is a member and an accredited trainer for tax and regulatory matters for the Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), the Institute of Certified Secretaries of Kenya (ICS), and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). This has enabled her to positively impact on cross-sectoral client, membership and corporate management and governance business when it comes to developing legislation in Kenya and across the borders.

In recognition of her contribution in the tax, regulatory compliance, leadership and governance, Lydia has been awarded a KPMG Encore Award for exemplary performance; selected for the Top 40 under 40 Women for her contribution to the legal and tax profession; and earned several corporate governance awards by EGH under the auspices of the Institute of Certified Secretaries Champions of Governance. This includes a personal award as the Second Runner-up Company Secretary of the Year 2023.

She has served as the Vice Chair of the Tax Committee of the Kenya Bankers Association and as a board member at KCA University, in the Strategy and Remuneration committee.
She also considers her most valuable Board experience for the Murua Girl Child Education Program, which focuses on empowering, educating, mentoring, and equipping the girls as the face and driver of change in Africa.

Academic and professional credentials: Master of Laws (LLM) – Public Finance with Tax specialization, University of Nairobi
Postgraduate Diploma (Law), Kenya School of Law
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) – University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Governance and leadership – Harvard University 2021 and 2022
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Secretary (CS)
Certified Securities Investment Analyst (CSIA

Programs: The Female Future Programme by the Federation of Kenya Employers - 2023