Legal Eagle

Clare Ruto is a career woman at the top of her game. She’s also a wife and mother who finds time to have fun, CATE ODERA discovers.

- Cate Odera

In a career spanning almost 20 years, Clare Ruto, 49, has accumulated degrees in education, law and business, and has worked in senior positions in some of Kenya’s biggest firms, including Safaricom, Celtel Kenya (now Airtel Kenya) and Multichoice Africa. Her current job title is chief legal and regulatory officer at Telkom Kenya.

She’s a lawyer, specialising in all things regulatory. She is basically the company’s legal eagle, smoothing the path between business and government. And she’s pretty good at it. Which is why she tends to be head-hunted.

‘I started off at Kenya Post and Telecommunications (KPTC) where I was involved in writing up most of the telecommunications regulations that are in place today,’ Clare says. KPTC then rebranded to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK). After a CCK meeting with Kencell, ‘Kencell asked me to join them. I worked at Kencell for eight years as director of legal and regulatory affairs, and saw them through their own rebranding to Celtel.’