AIMS Capital

Aims Capital Associates, established in 2011, is a corporate law Firm licensed by the Rwanda Capital Markets Authority to provide both legal and investment advisory services. The Firm, founded in 2013 by Counsel Alloys Mutabingwa, FCIArb, who owns 100% shares, is incorporated both in Rwanda and Delaware in the United States of America.

The Firm offers diverse services ranging from transaction advisory, legal services, contract management, disputes resolution, corporate services, tax advisory, Government relations, and project finance advisory.

Commissioned by the UNDP, the firm successfully completed a review of over 50 CDM investment projects with an estimated total ticket size of US$610 million, aligned to the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Article 6 VCM and NDC of the Paris Agreement. The review included verification of projects’ conformity with UNFCCC CDM Standards, development of projects prospectus and pitch-book for COP28 due in November 2023. The Firm is currently working on an Investment prospectus for investment up-scaling in a US$100 Million Sustainable Housing Technology project.

The Firm was commissioned by the UNDP to jointly with GBRW and Garnet Partners successfully complete Rwanda’s Five-Year Sustainable Finance Roadmap.

In May 2023, the Firm launched an Advocacy and Support project for the African Court of Arbitration (AfCA) to anchor the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA). The Firm and its Founding Partner work for numerous investors and Clients — public, private, civil society, United Nations, AfDB, and international development institutions.

Between 2018 and 2019, the Firm acting as a Consortium Partner with Tzamir Architects and Planners (Israel) and Horwath HTL, assisted the Rwanda Government in the development of Rwanda’s National Land Use Master Plan (2020–2050) and the Presidential Order for its legal enforcement. The Firm reviewed the policy and legal framework for all land use and land development, including expropriation, investment, environmental management and the secular economy.

In 2017, the Firm jointly with Planet Partnerships, commissioned by the African Development Bank, conducted a pilot study on waste management and circular economy across Rwanda, Ethiopia and Algeria.

The Firm is the sole Advisor on Climate Finance and investment in Rwanda and a Professional Service Provider under the Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC) framework. The Firm is a member of the Rwanda Capital Markets and the Rwanda Bar Association.

Commissioned by the Rwanda Government under World Bank funding, the Firm developed a legal structure for the corporatization of Rwanda’s Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA). The successful outcomes of the assignment led to the formation of REG (Rwanda Energy Group) and WASAC (Water and Sanitation Corporation), with the Firm assisting through their formative stages ranging from writing governance instruments, separation of assets, and recruitment of skilled personnel.

The Firm advised on the Bugesera PPP water project — one of sub-Saharan Africa’s largest known Build, Operate and Supply water deals. The US$60.8 million project delivers 40 million litres of water daily, growing Kigali’s existing water capacity by a third. Financed through a blended finance model by the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), the African Development Bank, and Metito (Emirates).

In the aviation sector, the Firm is a leading advisor in transactions relating to sale, lease and MRO contracts. The Firm holds a Service Level Agreement with Nexus Group (Saudi Arabia) and works closely with Avia Group (Vilnius) on aircraft transactions. The Firm has also entered into a representation agreement with Zhong Tong Group (China) — the largest manufacturer of buses including electric buses and their charging systems — to promote green technology in public transport across Africa.

Despite the Firm’s market vibrancy, it desires to increase its market share through affordable services. It works towards cutting a niche for itself in the market through its unique package of services that are so essential to clients, presenting the Firm as a sole reference for critical and high demand investment and business transactions.