Alex Ruganzu
Rwanda - Kigali
Summary
Alex Ruganzu is a senior finance and grants management professional with over 15 years of experience supporting local and international development organisations in financial management, donor compliance, strategic budgeting, financial reporting, project financing, and institutional financial controls. He has extensive experience managing multimillion-dollar donor-funded programmes, including grants supported by USAID, FCDO/DFID, UNICEF, SIDA, Global Affairs Canada, the Scottish Government, and other international development partners.
He brings strong expertise in financial planning and analysis, grant and sub-award management, audit coordination, risk management, procurement compliance, internal controls, partner capacity assessment, and value-for-money analysis. Through his roles with WaterAid Rwanda, Rwanda Housing Authority, SFH Rwanda, PSI Rwanda, and other institutions, he has contributed to strengthening financial systems, supporting project feasibility and funding strategies, ensuring donor and statutory compliance, and improving financial accountability across programmes and partner organisations.
Alex also has practical experience in digital finance and financial management systems, including Sun System, Sun & Vision, Finstream, Power BI, QuickBooks, MS Excel, MS Access, Wizard Software, and TOMPRO. His combined background in finance, compliance, project financing, donor accountability, and institutional capacity strengthening positions him well to support complex development programmes requiring strong financial governance, project bankability analysis, risk management, and effective use of financial data for decision-making.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Finance Specialist
WATERAID RWANDA
KIGALI
11.2019 - Current
- Responsible for developing and maintaining all necessary financial controls, systems, and processes to ensure efficient and effective management of the organization’s finances and compliance with WaterAid’s Financial Management Framework and statutory requirements regulations and procedures.
- The role is accountable for planning, development, and review of WARw financial policies procedures and systems, strategic financial planning and budgeting, prudent management, and control of financial resources.
- It supports the capacity building of WaterAid staff and partner organisations.
- Responsible for developing and maintaining all necessary financial controls, systems, and processes to ensure efficient and effective management of the organization’s finances and compliance with WaterAid’s Financial Management Framework and statutory requirements regulations and procedures. Website: [WaterAid](https://www.wateraid.org)
- Donor Relations: USAID, DFID now FCDO, UKAID, Guernsey Overseas Aid, Jersey Overseas Aid, Heineken Africa Foundation, Scottish Government, Swedish Postcode Lottery, Vites Evides International (VEI), UNICEF, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), JAPAN Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Global Affairs Canada (GAC), Latter-Day Saints Church (LDSC).
Project Financing Expert
Rwanda Housing Authority
12.2015 - 11.2019
- Carry Out Feasibility study for new RHA projects.
- Write Project Proposal.
- Put Mechanisms to attract private stakeholders.
- Identify Demand for affordable and Social Housing.
- Mobilizing local and Foreign Beneficiaries for short term and long-term mortgage financing.
- Guide investors in housing development projects and how implementation should be done.
- Searching and negotiating for feasible project funding.
- Proposing strategies as well as programs need for Rwanda Housing low income and middle-income people get access to mortgage.
- Collaborate with Banking and other financial institutions to help Rwandans to own their houses.
Finance Manager
Inspire Educate Empower Rwanda (IEE)
07.2016 - 12.2018
- Provide accounting support in the Country office while ensuring compliance with internal controls, donor regulations and budget restrictions.
- Prepare Invoice for reimbursement of funds in accordance with task order proposal.
- Record accounting transactions and ensure efficient, proper, and transparent financial filing systems of all documents relating to finance are maintained.
- Prepare and examine accounting records, financial statements, and other financial reports and ensure accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
- Manage the liquidity position at the Country office to ensure efficient implementation of the activities.
- Revise and update Financial Manual, Procurement Police and Procedural, Travel Policy Manual.
- Review and approve payments as provided in the approved budgets from the different partners.
- Assist with facilitation of internal and external audit procedures as required.
- Ensuring compliance and enforcement of internal policies, donor regulations and budget restrictions on all projects.
- Ensure implementation adherence of all accounting processes and procedures during all operations.
- Preparing the monthly bank reconciliation for review by the Country Director.
- Review of Monthly Staff Payrolls and compliance to all statutory deductions.
- Responsibility for petty cash including maintenance of petty cash records and completion of cash reconciliation at each month end.
- Ensure proper procurement procedures are always adhered to, including maintaining vendor contracts, lease agreements, and any other service contracts as may be required.
- Ensure all Company assets at Country level are reconciled and fully monitored and efficiently used for office operations.
- Ensure that proper authorization is obtained for all payments.
- Provide logistical support in the coordination and organization for program activities to ensure smooth implementation of activities.
- Coordination of meetings, forums, and other engagements to support their successful execution.
- Funded By UNICEF, PLAN Rwanda, Wood Foundation, Chemonics International.
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND RECEIVABLE/BUDGETARY MANAGER
SFH Rwanda
01.2014 - 11.2015
- Review, examine, and analyze accounting records, financial statements, and other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards.
- Managing the 'Financial tracker' of all project expenses for monthly submission to USAID.
- Budget tracking for all Projects.
- Prepare Liquidation to USAID.
- Managing quarterly cash requests from USAID and PSI.
- Prepare Federal Financial Report for UDAID.
- Review all external payments, including invoices, purchase order, requisitions, suppliers’ contracts, standard invoice solo source and cooperative bid analysis.
- Monitoring all Advances payments to regional offices and accountability of budgets verses actual, monitor implementation of program activities.
- Follow up on contracts, MOUs, Agreements and manage administratively all SFH bidders and their contractual obligations leading and managing the internal controls and compliance program by identifying procurement-related risks, proposing improvements for risk mitigation, and implementing those improvements such as if the delivery is efficient and effectively done on time.
- In collaboration with the contracts officer, participate in the review of the supplier contracts and make recommendations where appropriate.
- Establish and create charts, project code and table of accounts, and assign entries to proper accounts and project accounts.
- Perform the input of vouchers in the accounting system (QuickBooks and TOMPRO).
- Prepare a monthly bank reconciliation of entries recorded in the systems.
- Conduct a weekly petty cash surprise count.
- Monitor the account payable to ensure payments are up to date.
- Follow up all Accounts Receivables advance payments made to suppliers and ensures the closure of the PO’s issued.
- Review all Community Based Organization (CBO) budgets and monitor their activities as stipulated in their work plan.
- Review all advance payments to community-based organizations and balances after justification (CBO).
- Prepare MOU between SFH and CBOs.
- Review the payroll sent monthly by the Human Resource Department and severances tables sent quarterly.
- Ensuring the adequacy and effectiveness of the financial systems and procedures.
- Assist with internal and external audits in preparing and making accessible all necessary documents and explaining them on policy and procedure of organization.
- Prepare financial and other reports as required by the program in line with work plan and USAID agreements or as may be requested by Management.
- Conduct a monthly physical inventory and end-year stock.
- Establish and maintain effective financial controls including monitoring of expenditures of the program budget lines and performing analysis of financial variances.
- Establish and formalize financial management and control procedures.
- Enforce compliance with GOR, Donor, organization policy and procedures.
- FUNDED BY USAID
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION MANAGER
SFH Rwanda
04.2012 - 12.2013
- Prepare and submit the monthly financial report.
- Ensure enough cash liquidity in the Bank.
- Process all payment related to SFH activities.
- Follow up on contracts, MOUs, Agreements and manage administratively all SFH bidders and their contractual obligations leading and managing the internal controls and compliance program by identifying procurement related risks, proposing improvements for risk mitigation, and implementing those improvements such as if the delivery is efficient and effectively done on time.
- Ensure Contract, MOUs are in line with Budget, financial policy, and procedures of SFH.
- Ensure contracts are reviewed and free from any mistakes.
- Act as focal point of all Sub award organizations and issues related to finance.
- Provide and share the financial compliance visit report to the SFH Management from all Sub awards.
- Prepare transfers from different projects and donors.
- Work with community Based organization in the Country, review budgets, work plan and monitor expenses.
- Ensure good organization of all hard and soft files related to finance for Sub grant.
- Receive all the justifications related to SFH activities and prepare the journal vouchers and cash receipt voucher.
- Monitoring all the receivables/payables account details and delayed justifications and other irregularities.
- Prepare and monitor the annual Human Resource work plan.
- To prepare and administer the salaries for the national staff.
- Open new positions, recruit staff, develop careers, develop, and strengthen the Human Resource function (policies, procedures, and strategies).
- Regular check and supervision of guards, cleaners, and support staff.
- To provide visa support for development for foreign workers.
- Prepare and monitor the annual Procurement work plan.
- To negotiate cost effective purchases with suppliers including office bills, stationery, and purchase of equipment.
- To ensure that procurement plans are developed for each project in Rwanda.
- Prepare and lead the implementation of the design of tender documents.
- Develop Supplier Database and share with all program teams.
- To organize internal bookings and logistics for meetings, travel, and accommodation for visitors.
- To maintain a register of assets in the form of an office inventory.
- In collaboration with the contracts officer, participate in the review of the supplier contracts and make recommendations where appropriate.
- Booking flights and other trips for staff and international staff.
- Ensure the vehicles are maintained in optimum condition and used cost effectively, ensuring fuel consumption of fleet by approval of fuel cards and generation of and action on monthly vehicle management reports.
- Ensure that there is a sufficient transport system for both within and field program staff.
- Keeping an eye on fraudulent transactions/issues.
- Ensure the proper management of the Warehouse.
- Ensure the proper management of SFH Vehicles.
- Submit the Quarterly Asset list report.
- Support recruitment processes through job advertising, receiving CVs, scheduling interviews and booking facilities and interviews when necessary.
- Prepare and submit the monthly Warehouse report.
- Ensure budget holders provide quarterly and annual procurement plans and initiate procurement plan discussions with budget holders.
- Support staff with making supplier payments and process all administration-related payments.
- Ensure dissemination of Financial, travel, HR, Procurement policies and procedures to all Staff.
- FUNDED USAID, PSI, G. FUND
GRANT MANAGER /FINANCE ANALYST
POPULATION SERVICE INTERNATIONAL (PSI)
05.2011 - 03.2012
- Review all the advance requests related to PSI activities.
- To act as a focal point for all Sub award organizations include RAPP, EPR, EER and PSF in finance related issues including participating in all partners meetings.
- To conduct quarterly visits to all sub award in conjunction with CHF, FBOTA, BCSM team to each sub wards.
- Provide and share the financial compliance visit report to financial controller, BCSM team and Sub award with CHF.
- To prepare and process Sub grant quarterly payment for request and update to the senior manager BCSM about the status of those payments.
- Collecting and compiling monthly budgets and cash requests.
- Review advance requests to ensure that no outstanding advances exist.
- To record and monitor Sub grant burn rates on time.
- Carry out collection and reporting activities according to specific deadlines.
- Perform inputs of Journal vouchers and cash receipts voucher in the accounting system software including the ones from regional offices.
- To prepare the monthly financial report.
- Preparing and submitting monthly/quarterly/annual funding forecasts, cash flows and funding requests.
- Assist in month end closing.
- Review all the advances request related to PSI Program activities.
- Participate in the monthly physical inventory of the warehouse.
- Reconciliation of Accounts receivable.
- Assist with internal and external audits in my area of work, as required.
- Review all justifications prior to the preparation of the Journal vouchers.
- Ensure proper filing of the journal vouchers and cash receipt vouchers.
- Supervisor Junior Accountants.
- FUNDED BY (PSI WDC, DOD, CDC, NIKE, G. FUND, KFW, DFID)
Finance Associate
POPULATION SERVICE INTERNATIONAL (PSI)
02.2008 - 05.2011
- To supervise the Junior Finance Associates internal payment team.
- Ensure compliance with PSI Rwanda procedures and regulations, train junior accounting staff as deemed necessary.
- Routinely raise and review all the documents and transactions related to internal payments for the purpose of transparency and cost efficiency and provide recommendations.
- Perform the input of vouchers in the accounting system software.
- Processing payroll.
- To prepare the monthly financial report in collaboration with the Finance Associate (External).
- To organize and conduct surprise check of Petty cash, in collaboration with the Finance Analyst provide recommendation for improving the internal control within PSI Rwanda when necessary.
- Review of the Travel activity advances for accuracy, ensuring compliance in collaboration with the Senior Accountant.
- Follow up with all advances appearing in the balance sheet for 2 consecutive months.
- Exercise significant independent judgment and strategic thinking on internal payment transactions.
- Timely claiming of VAT refund.
- Prepare monthly payroll for the organization.
- Process the payroll deductions proposed by the Finance Associate (Internal Payments).
- Prepare the quarterly NSSF payment.
- Prepare the monthly PAYEE reconciliation.
- Prepare the monthly FARG payment.
- Prepare the monthly VAT refund and reconciliation.
- Prepare the quarterly VAT report for Washington.
- Conduct surprise check of Petty cash.
- Disburse the cash in the field activities of PSI as required.
- Report any deficiency found and provide appropriate recommendations.
- Comply with all PSI policies and procedures.
- Exercise independent judgment and/or analytical thinking on transactions.
- FUNDED BY (DOD, CDC, NIKE, G. FUND KFW, DFID)
Finance Officer
East African Breweries
07.2007 - 02.2008
- Prepare bank reconciliations for the company at the end of the month.
- Handle the organization’s cash including issuing receipts and banking money.
- Administer the payment process to ensure bills are paid on time.
- Complete the books of accounts and reconcile them every month.
- To streamline both sales and expenditure for the company.
- File all financial documents and make them available for the Auditors.
- Produce financial reports for the board, managers, and other stakeholders.
- Maintain records for cash, equipment, and stock control.
- Monitoring of sales and distribution channels.
Education
Master of Business Administration - Accounting & Finance Option
Mount Kenya University
Kigali, Rwanda01.2013
Bachelor of Science - Accounting and Finance
Kyambogo University
Kampala01.2006
Uganda Diploma - Business Studies
Makerere University Business School
Kampala, Uganda01.2002
Uganda Advanced Certificate - Education
St. Augustine College
Kampala, Uganda01.1998
Uganda Certificate - Education
Muriisa Secondary School
Uganda01.1996
Skills
- Financial reporting
- Financial analysis
- Strategic financial planning
- Financial management
- Donor relations
- Budget management
- Accounting software (QuickBooks, TOMPRO)
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access)
- Power BI
- Infor Sun System
- Sun & Vision
- Finstream
- Power BI
- QuickBooks Accounting Software
- MS Excel
- MS Access
- MS Word
- Wizard Software
- Tompro
- Accounting software (QuickBooks, TOMPRO)
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access)
- Power BI
- Accounting software (QuickBooks, TOMPRO)
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access)
- Power BI
Professional Training Conducted by OFOG and USAID
- Capacity building
- Accounting policies
- Financial procedures
- QuickBooks training
- Auditing
- Financial manual preparation
- Payroll software (Wizard)
- USAID policy and procedures
- USAID sub-award management
- Financial reporting for NGOs
Timeline
Finance Specialist
WATERAID RWANDA
11.2019 - Current
Finance Manager
Inspire Educate Empower Rwanda (IEE)
07.2016 - 12.2018
Project Financing Expert
Rwanda Housing Authority
12.2015 - 11.2019
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND RECEIVABLE/BUDGETARY MANAGER
SFH Rwanda
01.2014 - 11.2015
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION MANAGER
SFH Rwanda
04.2012 - 12.2013
GRANT MANAGER /FINANCE ANALYST
POPULATION SERVICE INTERNATIONAL (PSI)
05.2011 - 03.2012
Finance Associate
POPULATION SERVICE INTERNATIONAL (PSI)
02.2008 - 05.2011
Finance Officer
East African Breweries
07.2007 - 02.2008
Master of Business Administration - Accounting & Finance Option
Mount Kenya University
Bachelor of Science - Accounting and Finance
Kyambogo University
Uganda Diploma - Business Studies
Makerere University Business School
Uganda Advanced Certificate - Education
St. Augustine College
Uganda Certificate - Education
Muriisa Secondary School