Derrick Orare

Senior Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer with expertise in Ruby on Rails, Java, Python, React, cloud infrastructure, and DevOps. Experienced in leading cross-functional teams, architecting scalable systems, and delivering mission-critical software.

Derrick Orare

Technical Leadership Philosophy

I architect systems that are resilient by design, build APIs that are contracts first, and lead teams that value clarity over cleverness. My approach balances immediate business needs with long-term technical vision.

11+
Years Experience
Backend / APIs
Focus
Ruby on Rails
Primary Stack
Nairobi
Location
Open to roles
Availability
Hybrid
Work Preference
Docker / Kubernetes
DevOps
CI/CD
Workflow

Career Highlights

Key roles and achievements that define my professional journey

Senior Software Engineer | Founding Developer

NdovuCloud Technologies

Aug 2018 — Present Nairobi, Kenya remote
  • Founded and led development of the company’s backend platform, designing and building the first production-ready APIs using Ruby on Rails with PostgreSQL and MongoDB.
  • Owned system architecture and data modeling from inception, designing core services including inventory management and transactional workflows.
  • Integrated mobile and card payment systems including M-Pesa and Visa, ensuring secure, reliable, and auditable transaction processing.
Built SaaS platform prototype Established engineering playbook ensuring system reliability
Key Technologies:
Ruby on Rails ★ Postgres MongoDB ★ Docker ★ Kubernetes MySQL Ruby

Software Engineer

ENGIE Energy Access

Nov 2022 — Jul 2023 Kampala, Uganda hybrid
  • Owned and delivered mission-critical backend systems supporting large-scale energy access operations, partnering closely with product, data, and operations stakeholders across regions.
  • Led technical design and implementation of backend services, ensuring high availability, scalability, and predictable delivery under strict timelines.
  • Drove architectural discussions, identifying systemic risks, performance bottlenecks, and long-term maintainability concerns, and implementing pragmatic improvements.
Supported energy distribution to 50k+ customers Reduced post-release bugs by 20% Built first cross-team APIs
Key Technologies:
Ruby on Rails ★ Postgres Grape Docker ★ MySQL Django Python ★

Backend Software Engineer

Kwara

Oct 2021 — Aug 2022 Nairobi, Kenya hybrid
  • Designed and delivered core backend systems powering critical fintech workflows, operating with a high degree of autonomy and ownership.
  • Strengthened platform security, scalability, and performance through thoughtful API design, data modeling, and background processing strategies.
  • Contributed to system architecture and refactoring initiatives, improving long-term maintainability and reducing operational complexity.
Strengthened security and compliance Cut deployment time Increased test coverage
Key Technologies:
Ruby on Rails ★ Postgres MySQL React ★ DevOps Ruby

Software Engineer

Lipalater Limited

Nov 2019 — Oct 2021 Nairobi, Kenya hybrid
  • Designed and implemented scalable backend services supporting high-volume administrative and sales operations for a consumer finance platform.
  • Led refactoring of authentication flows, database schemas, and core controllers to improve system stability, security, and performance.
  • Built extensible notification and email services, improving internal communication and operational visibility.
Accelerated feature delivery by 40% Reduced production incidents by 35% Improved transaction latency by 15% Broke monolith application into micro-services
Key Technologies:
Ruby on Rails ★ Postgres CoffeeScript React ★ Ruby
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