Builder. Partner. Host.

Kevin
Mutiso

Founder of Alternative Circle. Chairman of Kenya's digital finance industry. Building durable African ventures worth building — for the seventh generation forward.

See the ventures →Work with me

Nairobi · Kenya2026

01 — Ventures

Four operating bets.

Alternative Circle, Shika, Oye, Dhahabu Bulk Traders. One thesis: own the operating layer.

02 — Podcast

Let The Cake Bake.

Long-form conversations with the people behind the work. Five episodes recorded.

03 — Writing

A book in progress.

If — with Gragory Nyauchi. Plus essays, op-eds, and selected press.

The numbers

The work, in measurements that matter.

KES 0.0B

Disbursed under DFSAK

Cumulative, digital credit industry

0.0M

Loans facilitated

Under DCP regulation

Reduction in harassment cases

DFSAK consumer protection programme

Oye riders

On the platform

$0.0M

Shika seed

CreditInfo, 2017

Launch markets

Dhahabu — Caspian + Gulf

Selected ventures

One vehicle. Multiple operating bets.

All ventures →

ActiveFounder & CEO · 2015 — present

Alternative Circle

The parent vehicle. The thesis: build durable, billion-dollar African ventures by owning the operating layer — capital, distribution, and category-defining product — instead of renting it.

Read the case study→

ActiveCo-founder · 2021 — present

Oye

Pre-negotiated commodities and insurance for the boda boda economy. Equity-backed by Britam. Total Energies, Vivo, Galana, Mogo on the platform.

Read the case study→

ActiveChairman · 2025 — present

Dhahabu Bulk Traders

Kenyan agricultural exports to the Caspian and Gulf — starting with a luxury tea brand. Caspian Agro Week 2026 Baku launch. MOALD letter of support. A four-market corridor.

Read the case study→

ExitedCo-founder · 2016 — 2020

Shika

The digital lending app that proved the thesis. Raised $1.1M from CreditInfo in 2017, helped birth Kenya's digital credit category, and seeded the regulatory work that became DFSAK.

Read the case study→

From the writing