NAIROBI, Kenya — Safaricom has announced the resignation of its Chief Financial Services Officer, Esther Waititu, who will leave the company on July 31, 2026, after more than three years in the role.
The announcement was made by Group Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa in an internal communication to staff, stating that Waititu is leaving the telecommunications giant to pursue other opportunities.
“I wish to announce that Esther Waititu, our Chief Financial Services Officer, will be leaving Safaricom to pursue other opportunities. At her request, the Company has agreed that her last working day will be 31st July 2026,” Ndegwa said.
Her departure comes weeks after Vodacom increased its effective shareholding in Safaricom to approximately 55 per cent, giving it majority control of the company.
Key Role in M-PESA Growth
Waititu joined Safaricom in February 2023 and oversaw the expansion of M-PESA from a mobile money platform into a broader digital financial services ecosystem.
According to the company, M-PESA recorded sustained growth in customer adoption and revenues during her tenure while expanding its portfolio to include savings, credit, insurance, investments, and digital payments.
Among her key achievements was leading the migration of M-PESA to the Fintech 2.0 cloud-native architecture, a move Safaricom said improved the platform’s reliability, scalability, and innovation capabilities.
The upgrade also strengthened the Daraja developer ecosystem, enabling third-party integrations and supporting the rollout of new financial products.
Expansion of Financial Products
Safaricom credited Waititu with driving the launch and expansion of several financial services, including:
- The Safaricom Insurance Agency.
- Ziidi, a digital investment ecosystem.
- The Ziidi Money Market Fund.
- Ziidi Trader, an investment platform.
- Pochi la Biashara, a solution that enables small businesses and traders to separate personal and business finances.
The company said the initiatives have broadened access to financial services and investment opportunities for millions of Kenyans.
Waititu also served as a trustee of the Safaricom Foundation, contributing to the company’s community development programmes.
Interim Appointment
Following her resignation, Safaricom has appointed Boniface Mungania, the current Director of Public Sector Digital Transformation, as Acting Chief Financial Services Officer.
Ndegwa thanked Waititu for her contribution to the company and wished her success in her future career.
“As she embarks on the next phase of her career, I would like to thank Esther for her service, transformative vision, and the energy that she brought to Safaricom,” he said.