Company Profile

Discern Limited
Relevant Practical Solutions for Business Problems
Contents

1 Who we are

2 Our Resources

3 Our Services and Offerings

4 Our Clients
Who we are
About Discern
Discern is focused on assisting the Private, Public and NGO sector build and preserve value
through our Advisory, Assurance and Training services in the areas of Performance
Management and Business Technology.
Discern is committed to bringing valued, practical insights to clients’ management in our key
areas of key competence which include Strategic Planning, Project and Program Management,
Operations, Monitoring & Evaluation, Financial Management and ICT. We bring together over
40 years combined project experience with country experience in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania,
Rwanda, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Africa, Botswana, Spain and USA based on projects the key
personnel have been involved in.
Our Mission is to facilitate Simple, Practical Solutions to the problems businesses face.
Our Vision is to be the first point of call for Strategic, Operational and Technological advice.
Our Motto is “Discuss, Discern, Design and Deploy”.
The basis of our services is international best practices such as the Balanced Scorecard, COBIT,
ITIL, ISO, VALIT and Prince2 coupled with the wide experience of our key personnel having
worked extensively in the public and private sector and for the Big Four accounting firms.
Our Resources
Isaac Newton Onyango
Isaac has over ten years experience in IT Audit, Advisory and Training work seven of which
were obtained working for a KPMG in Kenya and South Africa. Prior to joining Discern,
Isaac worked as a Senior Manager at Deloitte & Touche. His countries of experience include
Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa and Botswana. Isaac’s experience includes
assignments on Requirements definition, Information Security Services, Risk Assessment,
Business Process Analysis, Strategy Formulation, Policy Formulation, Policy Implementation
and ICT Auditing.
Isaac holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science (First Class Honours) and is a
CPA finalist. He is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA – World highest
score, 2001) and is the immediate former Vice Chairman of the Information Systems Audit
and Control Association (ISACA). He is currently pursuing an MBA at Strathmore Business
School.
Our Resources
Martin Wanjohi
Martin is a results oriented senior level manager and consultant with over 20 years of progressive
experience in management consultancy, development and implementation of ICT systems, project
and program management and evaluation, training in ICT assurance and governance in public,
non-governmental organizations and private sectors. Martin has an MSc (Information Systems),
CPA(K), a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), has attended numerous local and
international courses and seminars and educated locally and abroad.
Prior to joining Discern, Martin was the ICT Director at Strathmore University. He has also served
as Programme Director at Strathmore University and as an Acting Director of the MIS Department,
Ministry of Finance in the Government of Kenya.
He has expertise in ICT strategy, governance and management; project/program formulation,
planning, management and evaluation; ICT management, assurance and governance training; ICT
projects implementation; business process improvement and re-engineering; Financial advisory.
He is well versed in higher education management information systems; financial management
systems; airport management systems, and; national budgeting, debt, planning, monitoring and
financial management information systems.
Our Resources
Kevin Baraza
Kevin Baraza has over 4 years experience in accounting and financial disciplines covering
setup of accounting systems, financial planning, financial analysis and financial modelling.
Kevin is a renowned financial modeller and has designed and delivered financial models to
a range of organizations. Kevin has expertise in financial modelling, financial planning and
analysis.
Among the clients Kevin has consulted for are Acacia Medical Centre Ltd, Wilken Group,
Coffee Development Fund, Gap Marketing Ltd, Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC),
Nairobi Net Ltd, Open Systems Ltd, Kenya Gatsby Trust (KGT), Gatsby Financial Services,
Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), Cereal Growers Association (CGA), Kenya
Livestock Marketing Council (KLMC), Aberdares Coffee Millers & Marketing Co. Ltd,
Mellech Engineering & Construction Ltd, Specialty Coffee Association of Kenya (SCAK),
Provident Capital Ltd, Sasatel Wireless Ltd, Nyanza Farms Ltd and Kenya Livestock
Marketing Council.
Our Services

Strategic Planning
Performance
Project and Program
Management Management

Financial and Operations
Discuss Discern
Management

Monitoring and Evaluation

Deploy Design

ICT Strategy

Technology Sourcing

Outsourced Technology
Business
Technology Support

Securing Technology
Our Services

Performance
Management
Assurance Advisory
Discuss Discern Current and Backward Forward Focused Advice
Focused Assurance based based on Organizational
on Organizational Context Imperatives and Context

Training
Capacity Building across staff levels and at
Deploy Design
varying levels of proficiency (Awareness,
Readiness, Proficiency)

Business
Technology
Offerings
IS Audit and Assurance
Discern can provide assurance and audit services around:
• Strategic aspects like:
– ICT Strategies

– ICT Governance

• Tactical Aspects like

– ICT Policies

– Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

• Operational Aspects like:

– Application systems

– Databases and Operating Systems

– Physical and Environmental Security

Offerings
Strategic planning
Discern can provide:
• Advisory services in the definition and implementation of growth strategies
• Assurance and review services on growth strategies that have already been developed
including assessments on viability and management of risk
• Training services in the areas of strategy development and implementation including
monitoring and evaluation

Business Process Improvement Review

Discern can provide:
• Advisory services in the documentation, review and optimization of business processes
• Assurance and review services on business processes including identification of risk points
and evaluation of implemented business process controls
• Training services in the areas of business process mapping and optimization
Offerings
Capacity Building for SMEs – Financial/Accounting
Discern can provide:
• Training, Advisory and Assurance services in accounting and financial disciplines
covering setup of accounting systems, financial planning, financial analysis and financial
modelling

Corporate Governance
Discern can provide:
• Advisory services on the set-up and continual management and oversight of relevant,
appropriate corporate governance structures
• Assurance on existing governance structures
• Training services on the nature, role and relevance of proper corporate governance in line
with international best practices
Offerings
Performance Management
Discern can provide:
• Training, Advisory and Assurance services in all aspects of effective performance
management right from strategic planning through operations and monitoring &
evaluation

ICT Solutions/Integrated Business Solutions

Discern can provide:
• Advisory, Assurance and Training services on the upside of technology integration within
which the business optimises on the benefits realisable from use of technology
• Advisory, Assurance and Training services on the downside of technology integration
within which the business manages the risks faced from the increasing reliance on
technology for business needs
Our Clients

Nation Media Group

Kenya National Audit Office

Contacts