Zahidah Murira

Led finance operations for Third Man Limited / Upendo Honey, with group finance support across Tanganyika Blue, Dark Earth Carbon, Painted Dog, Halisi Agri, and Masika Ventures. Covered agribusiness, aquaculture, carbon, beverages, and shared services operations across a multi-entity structure.

Owned month-end close, management reporting, cash flow forecasting, statutory compliance, VAT/PAYE/SDL/WHT/CIT filings, bank reconciliations, intercompany recharges, audit preparation, tax audit responses, and lender/investor reporting. Managed Odoo ERP finance workflows across multiple companies, including accounting setup, inventory and manufacturing transactions, landed costs, asset accounting, vendor/customer records, data quality checks, reconciliations, and process improvements.

Led audit readiness by preparing reconciliations, schedules, working papers, statutory files, tax support schedules, fixed asset records, inventory support, intercompany reconciliations, and evidence packs for external review. Responded directly to audit and tax audit queries, coordinating supporting documentation and explanations across finance, operations, inventory, procurement, and management.

Strengthened finance controls by improving close discipline, reconciliation quality, documentation standards, tax files, audit trails, and review processes. Also developed automation-led finance tools for close control, VAT reconciliation, Odoo data quality review, and finance reporting, combining hands-on finance leadership with systems improvement and automation.

Handled finance, plant accounting, audit preparation, tax audit responses, and operational reporting for a Nile perch processing and export business purchasing wild-caught fish from local suppliers and processing it into fresh and frozen fillets and H&G whole fish for export markets.

Responsible for plant accounting, supplier/payables management, raw fish intake records, inventory reconciliations, production and yield reporting, finished goods tracking, cost monitoring, bank and cash reconciliations, statutory compliance, and month-end reporting. Worked closely with production, stores, procurement, cold room, dispatch, quality, and management teams to ensure accurate reporting across fish intake, processing, freezing, packing, and export operations.

Led external audit preparation by preparing schedules, reconciliations, stock records, supplier balances, bank reconciliations, production records, cost schedules, export documentation, and supporting evidence for audit review. Responded directly to tax audit queries, including requests relating to statutory compliance, accounting records, reconciliations, supplier transactions, export documentation, and supporting schedules.

Strengthened controls around raw fish purchases, processing yields, wastage, inventory movement, cut-off, documentation, and reporting discipline, improving the reliability of stock, cost, tax, audit, and financial reporting in a high-volume export food processing environment.

Handled accounting, planning, and operations support for Delish Foods / Zash Group, a food production and distribution business. Covered finance reporting, stock control, supplier/customer accounts, production planning support, cost tracking, cash and bank reconciliations, and operational coordination across production, stores, sales, and management teams.

Responsible for day-to-day accounting records, payables and receivables support, inventory movement tracking, stock reconciliations, production cost monitoring, sales reporting, cash handling controls, statutory compliance support, and month-end reporting. Worked closely with operations to align purchasing, production, stock availability, dispatch, and customer demand.

Supported planning and operational decision-making by improving the reliability of stock records, production reports, cost visibility, and management information. Strengthened controls around inventory movement, cash handling, supplier balances, customer accounts, and reporting discipline in a growing food production environment.

Handled accounting and finance administration support within a public-sector / development administration environment. Supported bookkeeping, payment processing, accounting records, cash and bank documentation, reconciliations, supplier records, payroll support, audit files, and preparation of financial information for review.

Responsible for maintaining accounting documents, supporting expense processing, checking payment support, updating records, assisting with bank reconciliations, preparing schedules, and ensuring finance files were organized for management, audit, and compliance purposes. Worked with finance and administration teams to support accurate record-keeping, timely transaction processing, and structured approval procedures.

Participated in ERP/accounting system migrations from DataEase to Pastel Partner and later to Pastel Evolution, supporting data transfer, accounting records, system checks, user-side finance validation, and continuity of finance reporting during the transition. Also responded to auditor questions relating to accounting records, system information, reconciliations, and supporting documentation.

Built a strong foundation in accounting discipline, documentation, reconciliations, payment controls, audit support, system migration, and public-sector finance procedures. Developed practical experience in maintaining reliable records, supporting audits, and working within structured compliance and approval processes.