Morris Mwendwa

I believe I am the best fit for this role because I have amassed over a decade and half of finance and accounting experience. My experience in this field cuts across overseeing the collection of customer accounts ensuring high level of customer retention and loyalty, monitoring debtor balances to ensure reduction in debts, ensuring credit and collection policies and procedures are followed, Liaising with customers as well as internal personnel including the sales team, conducting credit cheques on new customers, resolving problems in relation to invoice payments and reconciling complex month – end accounts, reconciling sales against collections, setting credit control approvals, preparing debtor collection management reports, review and reconciliation of debtors key accounts, experience in bringing financial accounts from inception to trial balance level, preparation of balance sheet accounts and reconciliations, preparing bank deposits, cash flow projection and forecasting and managing people. 

March 2022 – To date:                     Mirage Consulting & Logistics Limited

Position:                                                Finance & Administration Lead.

Responsibilities;

Bookkeeping Services; General ledger maintenance; Expenses ledger maintenance; Accounts payable and receivable services; Credit control & management; Preparing financial statements; Cash book & Bank reconciliation services; Accounting setup services; Statement of comprehensive Income; Payroll processing and management; Finance policy and procedures manual; I-Tax Registration; Preparation and filing of VAT returns, PAYE, NSSF, NHIF, Withholding Tax Etc;Obtaining tax compliance certificates (TCC);Managing Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) tax audits; Tax compliance reviews; Trial balance services; Cash flow statement; Preparing aging reports & summaries.

Achievements;

• Setting up MCL accounts office and putting in place adequate internal controls;
• Accomplished computerization of service and accounts department for the organization:
• Developed new and complex spreadsheets to help produce the monthly management accounts much quicker, reducing the production time from five days to two.

June 2021 - Feb 2022:                                 Wimssy Fresh Limited

Position:                                                     Receivables Accountant. 

Responsibilities;

• Formulating and implementing internal controls in regard to collections;
• Reconciling receivables ledgers to ensure that all payments are accounted for and properly posted;
• Ensure effective credit policy is in place, and closely monitor the change in business and also update the policy in a timely manner in order to reflect the real business case;
• Reconciling daily sales and collections;
• Monitor debtor statements/balances to ensure a reduction in debtors' overdue days;
• Submit daily Debtor and collections management reports;
• Performing day-to-day financial transactions, including verifying, classifying, posting, and recording accounts receivables' data;
• Maintaining SOP’s and work instructions;
• Preparing bank deposits;
• Managing and maintaining receivables filing system;
• Corresponding with customers and responding to inquiries;
• Preparation and maintenance of cashbook and bank reconciliation statements;
• Coordinating and monitoring internal, external and statutory audits and implementing audit findings;

Achievements;

• Implemented corrective measures that decreased minor accounting discrepancies by 30% through staff training and capacity building;
• Met with the senior managers of all departments to discuss their individual budgets and was able to reduce overall business expenditure by 15%;
• Analyzed client portfolios and was able to identify the lower-performing accounts. Using this data, I was able to improve these accounts increasing average client revenue by 16%

July 2018 – March 2020:              Amethyst Technologies LLC.                   

Position:                                     Finance &Administration Officer. 

Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Formulating and implementing internal controls and ensuring financial transactions are prepared as per laid down procedures and donor regulations; 
• Monitor bank balances to ensure timely inter-bank transfers and healthy cash flows are maintained;
• Timely processing of payments to suppliers and consultants as detailed in the Service Level Agreement. This shall include preparation of payment vouchers, bank transfer instructions and cheques for signature and dispatch, stamping invoices paid and filing;
• Maintain custody of the safe, petty cash and cheque books and ensure approved requisitions for staff travel and purchase office supplies are disbursed in time;
• Taxation – ensuring proper charging of Withholding Tax and Value Added Tax (VAT) and payment of the same on a timely basis to the relevant authorities;
• Participate in the preparation of departmental budgets and monitoring their expenditure to ensure funds are utilized appropriately;
• Run monthly budget analysis reports to review budgets vs actuals, with trends, insights, concerns, and recommendations clearly elaborated as requested;
• Provide technical support on financial reporting matters to the project team;
• Facilitate internal and external audit processes by ensuring all supporting financial information required is available before commencement of the annual audit exercise;
• Maintenance of Fixed Assets Register in the Finance system;
• Work with the program team to forecast financial transactions need and support in identification and recruitment of vendors based on project rules and regulations;
• Review of Sub grantee financial records, verify reimbursements, conduct field visits for capacity building, ensuring timely submission of reports and enforce compliance.

Achievements;

• Improved ties within and made it easy to reach out to them concerning financial matters;
• I successfully led the implementation of the accounting department from scratch and took the accountancy processes to full cycle;
• Successfully administered financial budgets within required results.

September 2013 – June 2018:              Kenya School of Law (KSL)

Position:                                                      Senior Accountant.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Ensure accuracy of financial statements in the organization;
• Formulation and implementation of internal controls; 
• Preparation of annual budgets and work plans; 
• Maintenance of vote book and ensuring strict budgetary control measures; 
• Ensure that payments are fully supported and approved appropriately;
• Maintain sound financial management systems and provide administration support; 
• Ensuring that procurement is done as per the PPOA guidelines; 
• Preparation and maintenance of petty cash; 
• Preparation and remittance of statutory deductions (PAYE, NHIF, NSSF)
• Managing a cordial relationship with bankers and ensuring that students fees received is banked promptly; 
• Preparation and maintenance of cashbook and bank reconciliation statements. 

Achievements;

• Expanded the accounting department efficiency by30% through rigorous training of junior accounting staffs;
• Reduced paper work by 50% by converting  accounting procedures to  electronic forms;
• Successfully administered financial budgets with required results.

April 2010 -August 2013:                 Kenya Wildlife Service,

Position:                                                 Project Accountant.

Duties & Responsibilities:  Donor: USAID, KRB, DFID, WORLDBANK

• Participate in the recruitment and selection process of potential organizations 
• Participate in the pre-award capacity assessment of the potential grantees.
• Assist in the review and consolidation of all sub grantees proposal budgets to ensure compliance with donor and organizational requirements.
• Assist in capacity building of sub grantees; organize program review meetings, provide continuous technical assistant and continuous mentorship on compliance.
• Continuously review Sub-grantees accounting procedures, internal controls, perform financial risks assessments  and establish risks mitigation plans
• Monitor sub grantees implementation/ performance; conduct desk reviews, sites visits, joint support supervision and risks assessments 
• Support the grant closeout process
• Follow up on findings from Audits, on sites visits and desk review with sub grantees staff
• Ensure timely submission of monthly reports by sub grantees
• Review sub grantees financial reports and ensure timely submission of final reviewed monthly reports and ensure adequate cash flows 
• Record expenses into the grants management system and prepare payment routine documents 
• Monitor and evaluate sub grantees budgets against actual expenditures and provide recommendation for budgets alignments.
• Maintain documentation and retention of sub grantees crucial records; reports, correspondence etc
• Assist in the preparation of reports related to sub grantees
• Provide feedback to the grants and Contract manager on overall performance of sub grantees and recommendation for improvement (If any) 

 Achievements;

• Stayed within budgets for petty cash disbursements within the project for 4 years;
• Successfully administered financial budgets within required results;

April 2008 - August 2010:                Kenya Wildlife Service, 

Position:                                             Accountant - Payments,

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Formulation and implementation of internal controls in regards to expenditure;
• Preparation and management of budgets and budgetary control;
• Preparation and remittance of statutory deductions (PAYE, NHIF, NSSF);
• Management of imprest register and imprest reconciliation;
• Ensuring that procurement is done as per the PPOA guidelines; 
• Ensure that payments are fully supported and approved appropriately;
• Managing a cordial relationship with bankers and ensuring that fees received is banked promptly; 
• Management of accounts payables and receivables ;
• Preparation and maintenance of cashbook and bank reconciliation statements. 

Achievements;

• Voted as the accountant of the year 2011 and was nominated for an accounting excellence award;
• Streamlined payment section by reducing backlog and payment cycle

March 2005 - March 2008:                Kenya Wildlife Service

Position:                                                Assistant Accountant

Duties & Responsibilities

• Preparation of payment vouchers;
• Processing purchase orders and payments to suppliers;
• Manage petty cash disbursements & Staff imprest accounts;
• Recording office expenditures and ensuring those expenses are within the set budget;
• Handling accruals and prepayments;
• Posting daily receipts and expenditures;
• Collaborate with financial members and other team members to successfully execute various accounting tasks;
• Preparation of cash book and bank reconciliation statements;

Achievements;

• Accurately reviewed and resolved exception reports researched, analyzed and resolved issues related to invoice payments;
• Among a team tasked with responsibility of developing an online vote book system for the organization that proved to be a game changer in dealing with budget over runs;

2016 - To date Catholic University of East Africa      Master of Business Administration  

                                                                                       Financial management - Ongoing 

2018 - 2011   Kenya Methodist University                   Bachelor of Business Administration 

                                                                                      (Accounting & Finance)         

1997 – 2000 Kauma Secondary School - Kitui             Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

                                                                                      Mean Grade C+ Plus.