Top US advisory firm Andersen Tax has opened an office in Nairobi in partnership with local consultancy, setting the stage for increased competition for corporate deals.
Andersen said it plans to use Nairobi as it launch pad into the East Africa.
The company will mainly focus on tax advisories and corporate deals such as mergers, acquisitions, transfer pricing and employee compensation structuring.
Its entry into Kenya, the second office in Africa after Nigeria, is through a partnership with Nexus Business Advisory Limited (Nexus) — a tax, legal and business advisory firm that former KPMG partner Phillip Muema founded in 2013.
“Philip is an outstanding professional and will help us create a platform for this strategic market in Africa. Kenya, which is the gateway to East Africa, continues to grow and expand with positive demographics,” said Andersen Tax LLC CEO Mark Vorsatz.
“Nexus is at the forefront of tax issues in East Africa and Philip will be responsible for the region, which has excellent potential for growth.”
In 2014, former partners at Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm that once stood among the world’s “big five” until it got embroiled in downfall of US energy giant Enron, bought the rights to the Andersen name and rebuilt the company under the brand name Andersen Tax.
“The collaboration with Andersen Global offers great possibilities for expansion into new markets and capabilities for both firms,” said Mr Muema, previously a partner at KPMG.