Esther Waititu's career journey from Sh15,000 salary to Safaricom top executive

Esther Masese Waititu has quietly built one of the most impressive careers in Kenya's banking and financial services industry.

Over more than two decades, she has risen from a graduate trainee earning less than Sh15,000 a month to leading Safaricom's financial services business, becoming one of the few women to head one of Africa's most influential fintech platforms.

Her resignation from Safaricom in July 2026 has sparked fresh interest in her career, education and leadership journey.

Behind the executive titles is a woman who has spoken openly about the setbacks, financial mistakes and career risks that shaped her success.

Waititu was raised in a family of five children where she was the eldest.

Although she describes her upbringing as comfortable, she says her parents believed in stretching every resource to ensure all their children received quality education.

Speaking on the Financially Incorrect podcast, she recalled how her younger siblings inherited her school uniforms until one sister refused to attend school because she was tired of wearing faded hand-me-downs.

Those childhood experiences taught her to value saving and careful financial planning.

"I promise you I will save and before I think about even borrowing, I have to have a plan," she said while reflecting on how those lessons continue to influence her money habits today.

She also credits her grandmother, despite having little formal education, for demonstrating that practical financial management can create lasting wealth for generations.

Waititu initially hoped to join the University of Nairobi after high school but instead enrolled at the University of Eastern Africa Baraton, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration between 1995 and 1999.

Although disappointed at first, she later described the experience as one of the defining moments of her life.

Years later, she returned to school and earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Liverpool between 2015 and 2017 while already holding senior leadership positions.

Before entering banking, Waititu worked in a coffee shop at Sarit Centre and later became a career consultant at the Institute of Advanced Technology, where she introduced students to computer literacy and career development.

Her banking career officially began in December 2000 when she joined Commercial Bank of Africa (now part of NCBA Group) as a Corporate Finance Analyst.

She worked on major transactions involving government privatisation programmes, mergers and acquisitions, including projects linked to Chemelil Sugar Company and Kenya Reinsurance Corporation.

She was promoted to Corporate Finance Manager before becoming Customer Relationship Management Manager, where she handled large corporate clients and multinational companies.

During this period, she helped roll out General Motors' Floor Plan financing structure and served on the bank's ISO Certification Committee.

In 2006, Waititu joined Standard Chartered Bank, marking the beginning of an international career.

She first managed relationships with major corporate and institutional clients before relocating to Johannesburg as Product Head for Transaction Banking across Southern Africa.

In South Africa, she led the development of cash management and trade finance products across multiple countries while introducing innovative receivable services programmes, including the bank's first solution for the telecommunications sector in South Africa and another for Botswana's mining industry.

She also helped Standard Chartered become a participating member of South Africa's Payments Association (PASA), strengthening the bank's position in the country's payments ecosystem.

Waititu joined Standard Bank Group in 2011, where her leadership responsibilities expanded significantly over nearly 11 years.

As Head of Product Management for Transactional Products and Services in East Africa, she developed working capital solutions for large corporate clients while overseeing payments, collections and trade finance products.

She was later promoted to Regional Head of Transactional Products and Services, leading more than 70 professionals across East Africa.

During this period, she drove product innovation through partnerships in the agriculture and telecommunications sectors, strengthened governance and compliance, and became a recognised thought leader through regional conferences and industry forums.

In 2017, she moved into strategy as Executive for Strategy Development in Corporate and Investment Banking, helping shape business growth, operational efficiency and client strategies across East Africa.

Her willingness to take unconventional career decisions became evident in 2020 when she accepted the role of Executive Head of Client Coverage in Zambia.

While many viewed the move as a step backwards because she shifted from overseeing several countries to managing one, Waititu says it became one of the most rewarding experiences of her career.

Leading operations during Zambia's economic challenges exposed her to complex corporate financing, government engagement and crisis management, lessons she believes strengthened her leadership.

In September 2021, Waititu joined KCB Bank Group as Director of Corporate Banking.

She oversaw corporate and institutional banking, leading strategy, balance sheet growth, trade finance, transaction banking and risk management.

Her role involved managing relationships with large corporates, financial institutions, regulators and development finance organisations while strengthening portfolio quality and standardising operating models across the business.

She also focused on building strong leadership teams and embedding customer-centric banking practices.

In February 2023, Waititu joined Safaricom as Chief Financial Services Officer, taking charge of one of Africa's most important digital financial platforms.

Her role extended far beyond managing M-PESA.

She led Safaricom's efforts to transform M-PESA from a payments platform into a comprehensive financial ecosystem offering credit, wealth management, insurance, merchant services and developer APIs.

She also balanced innovation with regulatory compliance, customer protection and operational resilience while strengthening partnerships across the financial ecosystem.

Under her leadership, Safaricom continued investing in products aimed at expanding financial inclusion, including the launch of Ziidi, an investment platform designed to make wealth creation accessible to everyday Kenyans.

Despite her success, Waititu says her career has not followed a straight line.

One of the biggest personal challenges came after becoming a mother to twins, when balancing executive responsibilities and family life forced her to slow down professionally.

"There was a time I had to take a step back when I had my children," she said, explaining that motherhood temporarily affected her pace of career progression before she regained momentum.

Professionally, she believes some of her biggest breakthroughs came from accepting roles that appeared less prestigious but offered deeper learning opportunities.

Waititu keeps much of her family life private, although she has shared that she is married and has twins.

She has openly admitted that one of her biggest financial mistakes was buying a new car instead of investing in property early in her career, despite her mother's advice.

The apartment she overlooked later tripled in value, while the car continued depreciating.

Today, she encourages young professionals to save consistently, think long term and have honest financial conversations within marriage, especially as careers and incomes evolve.