Esther Waititu is the chief financial services officer at Safaricom PLC, a purpose-led technology company providing a wide range of services and solutions, including mobile voice, messaging, data, financial and converged services, and digital services that enable commercial and personal platforms, as well as ecosystem partnerships. It is also the pioneer of M-PESA, the world’s most developed mobile money ecosystem.
With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Ms. Waititu has extensive expertise in corporate banking, product innovation and strategic leadership across diverse markets. Her career spans leading institutions, including Commercial Bank of Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, Stanbic Bank and KCB Group, where she served as director of corporate banking prior to joining Safaricom.
As chief financial services officer, Ms. Waititu has been instrumental in evolving M-PESA from a mobile payments platform into a comprehensive digital financial services ecosystem offering savings, insurance, credit and investment products. Under her leadership, M-PESA has expanded into a lifestyle enabler with the launch of the M-PESA Super App, hosting more than 80 mini-apps; the Ziidi Investment Platform, featuring Ziidi Shariah and Ziidi MMF with more than 1 million active investors; M-PESA Ratiba, the first-of-its-kind mobile money standing order proposition; and expanded credit solutions for individuals, enterprises and the public sector.
Her leadership continues to position M-PESA as a financial services partner of choice, advancing financial health, fostering economic empowerment and supporting digital inclusion across Kenya.
Ms. Waititu has received several accolades, including being named among the Most Powerful Women in Finance in East Africa in 2024 and among the Top 25 C-Suite Executives to Watch: Rising Stars Shaping the Future of Industry in 2025.
Ms. Waititu holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, and an MBA from the University of Liverpool. She is also an AoEC-accredited executive coach, committed to nurturing leadership and transformation within and beyond the organization.
