MARILYN WAMBUI KAMAU
Nairobi,Kenya
Summary
Accounting professional with three years’ experience in audit and financial reporting, working in both donor-funded environments and commercial settings. My background includes preparing and reviewing financial statements, monitoring project budgets, and ensuring compliance with IFRS for SMEs and donor requirements such as those from the World Bank, Sida and European Union. I have a strong track record in evaluation of internal controls, variance analysis, and financial reporting, and I am adept to working with cross-functional teams to support budget planning and timely reporting. As a CPA finalist, I pride myself on my attention to detail, integrity, analytical skills and ability to handle sensitive financial information. I am eager to use my skills and practical experience to contribute to ILRI’s mission of improving food and nutritional security through sound financial management and compliance.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work history
Audit Senior
Deloitte
Nairobi
2025.09 - 2026.05
- Oversaw the audit process and ensuring full compliance with donor requirements (Danida, Sida, World Bank, UNOPS, UNICEF, European Union), which supported the transparent use of over $100 million in project funds.
- Successfully participated in audit assignments for government and public sector clients across 6 countries i.e. Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, South Africa, Djibouti and Ethiopia, enhancing financial accountability and strengthening internal controls through recommendations.
- Supervised audit teams of up to 3 members on over 10 assignments such as the African Forest Forum Statutory audit, ensuring IFRS for SME's compliance, delivering all engagement deliverables on time and improving team efficiency.
- Conducted budget vs actual expenditure reviews, variance analysis and risk identification for over 20 donor-funded projects, enabling early detection of budget deviations and financial risks.
- Financial reporting, preparation and review of financial statements for over 10 projects implemented by, including ICIPE, ICRAF, SCI, AFF, ensuring compliance with IFRS and donor regulations.
Audit Senior
Deloitte
Nairobi
2025.09 - 2026.05
- Supervision of audit teams to ensure timely delivery of the engagement deliverables
- Attending client entrance and exit meeting to discuss key issues affecting the audit
- Audit planning, execution and finalization in accordance with the set accounting and reporting frameworks or terms of reference.
- Preparation and review of audit working papers for junior team members
- Summarizing all significant accounting and audit issues to form the basis of audit opinion.
- Assisting our clients in preparation of financial statements
- Reviewing financial statements to ensure compliance with required reporting framework
- Reporting on internal control weaknesses and making recommendations for improvements to client's management
Audit Senior Associate
Deloitte & Touche LLP
2024.09 - 2025.09
- Identified and reported over 15 internal control weaknesses during the audit of various clients, with 80% of recommendations adopted by management, leading to a measurable reduction in audit findings in the subsequent year.
- Prepared over 200 comprehensive audit working papers summarizing significant accounting and audit issues to support audit opinions, some which contributed to a 100% acceptance rate of selected working papers for quality by UNHCR.
- Trained and supervised a team of 3 junior auditors on Deloitte’s Excel analytics functionality tool during the IGAD Organizational & Project Audits, resulting in a 30% reduction in data analysis time.
Audit Senior Associate
Deloitte & Touche LLP
2024.09 - 2025.09
- Guiding junior team members on the use of Deloitte analytical tools to achieve efficient audits.
- Attending client entrance and exit meeting to discuss key issues affecting the audit
- Audit planning, execution and finalization in accordance with the set internal and external audit standards
- Preparation of audit working papers summarizing all significant accounting and audit issues to form the basis of audit opinion.
- Assisting our clients in preparation of financial statements and proof-reading drafts of the financial statements before publishing.
- Reviewing financial statements to ensure compliance with International Financial reporting Standards.
- Reporting on internal control weaknesses and making recommendations for improvements to client's management
Audit Associate
Deloitte & Touche LLP
2023.09 - 2024.09
- Monitored project budgets totalling over $5 million across multiple donor-funded initiatives, identifying variances and working closely with finance and management teams to implement corrective actions and optimize resource allocation.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams including finance, operations, and programme staff, across multi-stakeholder projects, enhancing timely completion of audit engagements by 20%.
- Reviewed grant financial reports for multiple stakeholders, ensuring timely and accurate submission in line with donor guidelines and contributing to 100% successful continuation of funding agreements for ongoing projects.
Audit Associate
Deloitte & Touche LLP
2023.09 - 2024.09
- Attending client entrance and exit meeting to discuss key issues affecting the audit.
- Audit planning, execution and finalization in accordance with the set internal and external audit standards.
- Preparation of audit working papers summarizing all significant accounting and audit issues to form the basis of audit opinion.
- Assisting our clients in preparation of financial statements and proof-reading drafts of the financial statements before publishing.
Graduate Management Trainee
Naivas Supermarket Ltd
Nairobi
2023.03 - 2023.08
- Analysis of sales data for over 500 SKUs, identifying 5 key product trends and 3 underperforming categories, which directly informed the store’s merchandising strategy and led to a 12% increase in promotional sales.
- Attended over 8 training workshops as part of the graduate programme, enhancing retail industry knowledge, and achieving top 10% performance in assessments.
- Leveraged Microsoft Dynamics ERP to monitor and control branch inventory, enabling real-time tracking of stock levels, improving order accuracy by 15%, and supporting timely replenishment decisions.
Graduate Management Trainee
Naivas Supermarket Ltd
Nairobi
2023.03 - 2023.08
- Provision of key deliverables before the set deadlines.
- Demonstrated adaptability by quickly learning new systems and processes and proactively seeking feedback to improve performance.
- Worked effectively as part of cross-functional teams to support store operations during peak periods.
- Assisted in analyzing sales data to identify trends and opportunities for upselling, which informed the store's merchandising strategy.
- Providing high-quality service to customers, addressing queries and complaints, and ensuring a positive shopping experience.
- Attending training sessions and workshops as part of the graduate programme to develop professional skills and retail industry knowledge.
- Participating in structured rotations across various departments such as operations, supply chain, finance, and customer service to gain a holistic understanding of supermarket operations.
- Ensuring adherence to company policies, health and safety regulations, and quality standards throughout all assigned tasks.
Finance Attache
Kenya Revenue Authority, Times Towers
Nairobi
2021.01 - 2021.03
- Maintained a 100% compliance record with organizational policies during the attachment.
- Provided general administrative support to the finance department, including filing, photocopying, and document management, improving document retrieval efficiency by 25%.
- Performed daily and monthly bank reconciliations for accounts processing over 200 transactions per month. Additionally, I detected and resolved 90% discrepancies within 24 hours, maintaining up-to-date financial records.
Finance Attache
Kenya Revenue Authority, Times Towers
Nairobi
2021.01 - 2021.03
- Successful Completion of Attachment Programme.
- Proficiency in KRA's electronic tax systems (such as iTax) in retrieval of data for financial operations.
- Adapted quickly to new tasks and responsibilities and proactively sought opportunities to contribute beyond assigned duties.
- Using KRA's electronic platforms (such as iTax) for data entry and retrieval.
- Daily and monthly bank reconciliations.
- Providing general administrative assistance to the finance department, including filing, photocopying, and document management.
Education
Bachelors of Business Science - Financial Economics
Strathmore University
NairobiHigh School Diploma - KCSE
Maryhill Girls High School
ThikaSkills
- Grant compliance and Financial Reporting
- Budget monitoring and Financial reporting analysis
- Review of internal control systems and Risk Management
- Financial statement review
- Financial data analysis(Excel, Power BI) and interpretation
- Government and Public Sector Audits and agreed upon procedures and compliance checks
- Statutory and Projects Audits for Not-For-Profit Organizations
Certification
- CPA - Certified Public Accountant Finalist
- Accounting Foundations: Managerial Accounting
- Effective Leadership: A Practical Guide
- Power BI for the audit
- Bookkeeping Basics
- Excel Skills for Business: Essentials
Systems and tools
- Microsoft Excel (Advanced)
- Power BI
- Audit software
- ERP Systems(Oracle)
- Sharepoint
- Power Point
- Microsoft Outlook
REFEREES
- Emmanuel, Mundara, Senior Manager, emundara@deloitte.co.ke, Deloitte & Touche LLP, Nairobi, Kenya
- Charles, Njoroge, Managing Director, cgnjoro@gmail.com, Jawabu Biashara, Nairobi, Kenya
- Margaret, Mwaniki, Finance Officer, margaret.mwaniki@kra.go.ke, Kenya Revenue Authority, Nairobi, Kenya
- David, Ikapesi Muganda, Regional Manager Powerstar, daviemuganda@gmail.com, Supermarket Ltd, Nairobi, Kenya
Timeline
Audit Senior
Deloitte
2025.09 - 2026.05
Audit Senior
Deloitte
2025.09 - 2026.05
Audit Senior Associate
Deloitte & Touche LLP
2024.09 - 2025.09
Audit Senior Associate
Deloitte & Touche LLP
2024.09 - 2025.09
Audit Associate
Deloitte & Touche LLP
2023.09 - 2024.09
Audit Associate
Deloitte & Touche LLP
2023.09 - 2024.09
Graduate Management Trainee
Naivas Supermarket Ltd
2023.03 - 2023.08
Graduate Management Trainee
Naivas Supermarket Ltd
2023.03 - 2023.08
Finance Attache
Kenya Revenue Authority, Times Towers
2021.01 - 2021.03
Finance Attache
Kenya Revenue Authority, Times Towers
2021.01 - 2021.03
Bachelors of Business Science - Financial Economics
Strathmore University
High School Diploma - KCSE
Maryhill Girls High School