Peter Gitau

A dedicated, results-oriented, and highly disciplined finance professional with over 10 years of progressive experience spanning Credit Administration, Loan Processing, Debt Recovery, Portfolio Management, and Customer Relationship Management. Currently serving as a Loan Officer and Collection Officer at Tower SACCO, with deep expertise in credit appraisal, delinquency control, skip tracing, CRB operations, collateral verification, and legal recovery processes. Previously advanced into an Accounts Payable & Receivable Accountant role, gaining valuable exposure to ERP systems, full-cycle AP/AR management, tax compliance, payroll administration, and financial reporting.

Hold a CPA (K) from KASNEB, CCP Section 6, and a Certificate in Computerised Accounting (Sage & QuickBooks). Proficient in MS Excel, core banking systems, and regulatory frameworks including SASRA and KRA requirements. Seeking a challenging Loan Officer role in a dynamic organization where I can leverage my analytical skills, attention to detail, and strong ethical foundation to drive portfolio growth, reduce risk, and contribute to organizational success.

Loan Officer / Collection Officer - Tower SACCO - Gilgil, Kenya

(2021-01)

• Managed a loan portfolio of approximately KSh 50 million covering 100+ active borrowers, ensuring effective monitoring, collection, and portfolio quality.
• Processed and appraised an average of 69+ loan applications monthly, assessing borrowers' character, capacity, repayment ability, credit history, and collateral.
• Contributed to approximately 18% loan portfolio growth through quality credit appraisal, member engagement, referrals, and cross-selling of SACCO products.
• Improved loan recovery performance by 20% through structured follow-ups, field visits, repayment negotiations, and targeted collection strategies.
• Reduced Portfolio at Risk (PAR) from 13% to 4% through early identification of delinquent accounts and proactive recovery interventions.
• Recovered approximately KSh 5 million in overdue and non-performing loans through calls, SMS, field visits, demand letters, negotiations, and repayment plans.
• Maintained an average monthly collection rate of approximately 80%, consistently working toward assigned recovery targets.
• Conducted 20+ field visits per month to verify businesses, borrowers, assets, guarantors, and collateral supporting loan facilities.
• Successfully traced 20+ hard-to-reach borrowers through skip-tracing techniques, field intelligence, CRB records, and available databases.
• Coordinated recovery of 29 delinquent accounts, including collateral repossession and auction processes where negotiated recovery efforts failed.
• Prepared and presented 20+ credit applications/credit committee packs monthly, ensuring complete documentation and compliance with lending policies.
• Recommended loan restructuring, rescheduling, and refinancing for eligible borrowers, helping retain viable members while improving repayment performance.
• Managed CRB reporting for delinquent and defaulted accounts, ensuring timely and accurate submission of credit information.
• Supported legal recovery processes, coordinating documentation, demand letters, litigation support, and follow-up with legal representatives.
• Processed and followed up on insurance claims relating to death, disability, and collateral protection, helping minimize potential loan losses.
• Maintained accurate daily, weekly, and monthly collection reports, aging schedules, PAR reports, and recovery analyses for management decision-making.
• Educated 600 members on responsible borrowing, budgeting, loan discipline, and repayment obligations, contributing to improved customer retention and reduced delinquency.
• Cross-sold SACCO products and supported top-up facilities for eligible members, contributing to increased member activity and portfolio growth.
• Conducted continuous portfolio reviews to identify early-warning accounts and implement corrective recovery actions before loans became severely delinquent.
• Maintained strong customer relationships while enforcing collection policies professionally, ethically, and in accordance with SACCO procedures and regulatory requirements.

Accounts Payable & Receivable Accountant - Tower SACCO - Gilgil, Kenya

(2017-01 - 2021-12)

Accounts Payable Functions

• Managed the full procure-to-pay cycle, from purchase requisition verification, purchase order matching, and goods receipt note (GRN) validation to final payment processing.
• Processed vendor invoices, verified supporting documents (LPOs, delivery notes, GRNs), and ensured proper authorization before payment disbursement.
• Reconciled bank statements and supplier accounts monthly, resolving discrepancies promptly to maintain accurate ledgers.
• Prepared AP aging reports and analyzed outstanding payables to optimize cash flow and working capital management.
• Ensured VAT and withholding tax compliance by accurately calculating, deducting, and remitting taxes to KRA within statutory deadlines.
• Maintained vendor master data, verified banking details, and resolved vendor queries professionally and promptly.
• Negotiated favorable credit terms and early payment discounts with suppliers, reducing overall procurement costs.
• Prepared monthly accruals and prepayment schedules to ensure accurate period-end financial reporting.
• Supported internal and external audits by providing comprehensive documentation and assisting in ERP system implementation and optimization.
• Identified cost-saving opportunities and reduced overdue payables through structured payment planning and vendor relationship management.
• Verified employee expense claims and reimbursement requests for compliance with organizational policies before processing.
• Managed the member receivables ledger, ensuring timely invoicing and collection of outstanding dues, subscriptions, and service fees.
• Prepared and distributed monthly statements to members, clearly detailing balances, payments due, arrears, and any penalties applied.
• Monitored accounts receivable aging reports and followed up on overdue accounts through phone calls, emails, SMS reminders, and formal demand notices.
• Reconciled member accounts regularly, resolving billing disputes, applying authorized adjustments, and ensuring ledger accuracy.
• Processed incoming payments via cash, cheques, mobile money (M-Pesa), and bank transfers, allocating receipts correctly against respective member accounts.
• Maintained strict credit control procedures, flagging high-risk accounts and recommending credit holds or restrictions where necessary.
• Collaborated with the loans department to offset member receivables against loan disbursements and share withdrawals where applicable.
• Prepared monthly receivables reports and recommended bad debt provisions for management review, audit purposes, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensured accurate maintenance of the general ledger for all trade receivables, deferred income, and related revenue accounts.
• Tracked unallocated receipts and unidentified deposits, ensuring timely resolution and correct member attribution.
• Processed monthly staff payroll, ensuring correct computation of basic salaries, allowances, overtime, bonuses, and deductions.
• Prepared and filed NSSF, NHIF, PAYE, and other statutory deductions accurately and within statutory deadlines.
• Reconciled payroll bank transfers and maintained confidential payroll records in compliance with data protection requirements.
• Generated payroll variance reports and advised management on remuneration-related cost implications.

Administrative Assistant / Accountant - Saidia NGO

(2014-01 - 2016-12)

• Maintained accurate books of accounts for multiple donor-funded projects, ensuring compliance with grant agreements.
• Prepared annual budgets, monitored expenditure against approved budgets, and provided monthly variance analysis to donors.
• Processed monthly staff payroll and calculated statutory deductions (PAYE, NSSF, NHIF) with timely remittance.
• Prepared detailed financial reports, fund utilization statements, and narrative summaries for bilateral and multilateral donors.
• Assisted in procurement by preparing requisitions, evaluating quotations, and maintaining supplier registers.
• Managed petty cash and main cash accounts, prepared cash flow forecasts, and reconciled bank statements weekly.
• Tagged, tracked, and maintained the fixed asset register, conducting annual physical verification exercises.

CPA Graduate - Accounting - KASNEB

CCP Section 6 - Credit Professional - KASNEB

Certificate in Computerised Accounting - Accounting

KCSE