Financial Safeguarding & Fraud Prevention in Kenya

Responding to a need for additional support in higher education, in 2020, ASEC began a new initiative under the Scholarship Program, recruiting a select number of sisters pursuing doctoral degrees. Among the first group of sisters to partake of this opportunity was Sr. Esther Wambui Gitee of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi (ASN) in Kenya. In October 2025, Sr. Esther completed her studies at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) and graduated with a PhD in Business Administration, becoming the second sister to complete a doctorate with ASEC’s support. Her dissertation, entitled “Internal Financial Control Factors and the Sustainability of Microfinance Banks in Kenya,” looks critically at the inner workings of microfinance banks in her home country and discusses challenges that hinder overall efficiency.

Sr. Esther is currently the general bursar for her congregation. In her role as bursar, she oversees thirty-five projects both within and outside Kenya while ensuring sound monitoring practices, risk management strategies, control activities, and institutional sustainability.

She also conducts training on varied finance topics for various groups and has been instrumental in strengthening her congregation’s financial systems, particularly by enhancing budgetary processes and providing strategic guidance on investments. These contributions have been reinforced by the advanced knowledge and skills she has recently acquired, which continue to inform her professional practice and leadership.

With her new skills in finance, Sr. Esther will be helping her congregation and workplace to develop systems to improve their current budgetary processes. Included in this will be advising her congregation on investment strategies, helping to refine internal controls, and putting safeguards in place to prevent issues with fraud. She also hopes to educate her community on how the congregations utilize the money that they receive, that the fundraising they perform is used to benefit community projects and to spread their values. At the same time, Sr. Esther remains deeply conscious of the need to maintain a harmonious balance between her religious vocation and the professional demands associated with her specialized skills. She recognizes that her financial expertise is not an end in itself, but a service to her mission and community. By integrating her spiritual commitments with her professional responsibilities, she embodies a model of leadership that unites academic rigor, and faithful service for the holistic advancement of the wider Church.

As one of the initial students in the Doctoral Scholarship Program, Sr. Esther’s perspective on the benefits and potential improvements to the program are extremely beneficial. She credits ASEC’s support, including check-ins on her progress, with helping her to complete her degree. The Orientation and Reflective Learning Workshops and their emphasis on research, writing skills, and time management were greatly appreciated. Sr. Esther recommends that ASEC find ways to foster more interaction among the PhD students, giving them the opportunity to share challenges and advice throughout the course of their studies.

As she continues to bring her financial skills to the benefit of her congregation, Sr. Esther plans to pursue further training in order to stay on top of new trends in finance, particularly regarding concerns with cybersecurity, leadership and organizational administration, and proposal writing. She hopes to be able to educate others on the importance of accurate financial processes, creating more stability in her community. With her new degree and expertise, Sr. Esther will become a great agent of change, helping to create a better environment for those around her.

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