Cellulant, a leading African payments company, has appointed Keziah Rutto as its new Group Head of Regulatory Affairs, strengthening its capacity to navigate the continent’s evolving regulatory landscape as it scales across markets.
Rutto brings more than 12 years of experience in financial services, spanning banking, fintech and legal practice.
She joins Cellulant from Interswitch East Africa, where she served as Regional Head of Legal, Regulatory Affairs and Company Secretariat. Prior to that, she held senior legal and compliance roles at Family Bank Ltd and Spire Bank Limited (formerly Equatorial Commercial Bank), and began her career as an Associate at Wamalwa & Company Advocates.
In her statement on her official LinkedIn page
“I am happy to share that I have joined Cellulant as Group Head of Regulatory Affairs!
Over the past 12 years, my experience across law, banking and fintech has reinforced my appreciation for organisations that prioritise strong governance, as Cellulant does. In this new role, I look forward to advancing Cellulant’s regulatory strategy, strengthening our compliance frameworks, and deepening our engagement with regulators as we scale across diverse markets.
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At Cellulant, there’s a shared belief that we are more than a payments company ; we are bridge-builders. By simplifying how people pay and get paid, we connect companies to their ambitions, people to opportunities, and Africa to the global economy. This is only possible when we work closely within evolving regulatory frameworks across the markets we operate in, ensuring compliance is not a barrier but a foundation for trust, interoperability, and sustainable scale.”
In her previous positions, Rutto developed deep expertise in regulatory compliance, corporate governance, contract management, litigation oversight, risk management and board support. She has worked closely with digital financial services teams on payment solutions, advised on the impact of new legislation, and led initiatives to improve operational efficiency and legal risk management.
Cellulant Group CEO Peter O’Toole welcomed the appointment, highlighting the strategic importance of the role as the company expands.
“As Cellulant continues to scale across Africa, strong regulatory partnerships are essential as we build a payments business that allows businesses to grow and expand effortlessly,” O’Toole said. “I’m therefore pleased to welcome Keziah Rutto as our new Group Head of Regulatory Affairs.
“With more than 12 years of experience in financial services, Keziah brings deep expertise to a role that will be increasingly important as we deepen our reach across markets and navigate an evolving regulatory landscape. She will lead our Group regulatory agenda, strengthening how we engage with regulators, anticipate change, and build the frameworks that support sustainable growth.
“Africa’s growth story needs dependable payment infrastructure. At Cellulant, we’re committed to building that infrastructure on a foundation of innovation, trust and strong regulatory partnerships. Welcome to the team, Keziah.”
In her new role, Rutto will oversee Cellulant’s group-wide regulatory strategy, focusing on proactive engagement with regulators, compliance frameworks and the governance structures required to support the company’s continued expansion across Africa.
