What’s next for Safaricom?
Chief Business Development and Strategy Officer Michael Mutiga shares insights into the company’s transformation from a telecom giant to a purpose-led technology powerhouse, driving innovation in mobile money, ICT, IoT and digital ecosystems.
Listen to the full podcast to hear how Safaricom is shaping Kenya’s connected future.
From a mobile telephony department in the late 1990s to becoming a leading technology company, Safaricom has been at the heart of Kenya’s digital transformation for 25 years.
In this podcast, James Maitai, Group Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO), takes us through Safaricom’s tech journey; from 2G to 5G, the arrival of the fibre optic cable, and now expansion into Ethiopia.
Discover how technology has powered Safaricom’s growth, and the bold plans driving its vision to become Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company by 2030.
Listen to this podcast to learn how Safaricom continues to shape the future of connectivity, enterprise solutions, and digital innovation.
The pin-drop silence in Jackeline's ward is interrupted by the entry of her assigned nurse for the day, Christine Muthengi. Nurse Muthengi slowly took her through the pre-operation procedures, carefully explaining what the surgery was set to correct.
Once this was done, Jackeline was wheeled into surgery, where a scrubbed Dr. Oluoch waited.
Thirty minutes later, Jackeline emerged from the theatre. A brand-new world lay in wait to be conquered—Sans the stigma and the ridicule but full of a re-established self-belief.
Her future dreams might sound a bit cliché. All Jacqueline wants is to attend weddings without taking a pill. She wants to go to the funerals of her loved ones without wondering if people can smell her. She wants to be invited into people's houses. She wants to belong.
She wants to be her. She wants a return to normalcy. She wants to smile again. She wants to laugh again. Simply put, she wants to be her.
The 30-minute procedure performed by Dr. Oluoch will provide her with all these benefits and more.
Through 2024, Dr. Daniel Oluoch performed more than 60 fistula-related surgeries across Kenya. He is just one of the 15 fistula surgeons in the African nation.
“We are a product of our history,” he says, trying to figure out the things that led him onto the path he is currently on.
“I never pictured myself as a doctor. I did not have very high ambitions. But growing up, I came face to face with the plight that women faced when giving birth," he says.
Dr. Oluoch grew up with a grandmother who was a midwife.
“I would see how women suffered when they came to deliver in my grandmother's homestead. When I got to medical school, I developed an interest in obstetrics and gynecology and went ahead to pursue that.”
He has been handling fistula cases since 2018.
“There are a few of us because it is less rewarding… the practice has little economic gain. It is for the good of humanity. That is why we have few fistula surgeons, but I am happy the few are giving their time to this selfless act,” he says.
Whenever he walks into any fistula-related surgical procedure, he has only one objective.
“We aim to restore the original anatomy of the patients. It is not an easy task because it requires great effort to reach these women and even greater effort to convince them to get help,” he says.
Stigma often stands between the women and medical intervention.
“These women are not afflicted by design. They did not choose it. Secondly, the condition is not contagious, so they should not be put aside. These are normal people who found themselves in this state. We should not seclude them. We should encourage them to get help,” he says.
Those who overcome the stigma face yet another hurdle- costs.
“Those affected are people of a low social status. These medical camps are the only resort for some of these women,” Dr. Oluoch says.
The surgeries are not cheap and are out of reach for most of the affected women.
“Our reward is in seeing the smiles on their face after they get the intervention. Some require multiple surgeries. We try as much to restore them. For those we cannot restore completely, we do something called 'diversion' so that they do not soil themselves.”
The success of the surgery often relies on the surgeon's technique and the quality of post-operative care. This ensures that they are cured at the first attempt.
Kenya may not be where it needs to be in terms of addressing fistula cases. However, for those who've been in the game for a while, notable progress has been made.
Beatrice Ogutu, a fistula nurse at Kenya's largest referral hospital, the Kenyatta National Hospital, has been handling fistula cases since 2008. She has seen the highs; she has seen the lows. Throughout her roller coaster ride as a nurse, she has lost hope, regained it, and lost it again. Today, she is regaining it once more.
“We are less than 20 fistula nurses in the country. Some train, but along the way, they fizzle out,” Beatrice says. “It is not an easy job. It is a calling. When we see our mothers leaving our facilities smiling, it gives us hope that we are doing good work.”
But beyond the smiles, there is an often-untold toll on nurses like Beatrice.
“You hear stories of mothers, and they put you down,” Beatrice says. “We always seek god’s guidance along the way and even when we are working. In the darkness that is the life of those living with fistula, it is up to us to find the light.
For her, a guiding light is encouraging patients who have suffered from this condition to come forward for treatment and, critically, finding the right partners to ensure that the interventions work
“The surgery is not cheap. A simple procedure in a public hospital costs up to KSh. 60,000 Eventually, many end up spending around Ksh. 160,000 to Ksh. 180,000. Many of those
afflicted cannot afford this,” Beatrice says. “Having free medical camps ensures these bills are met. My endearing message is that there is hope.”
Jackline’s journey to Kisii Teaching and Referral Level 6 started with a text from a family friend. The message was straightforward; there was a free medical camp whose objective was to address the challenges faced by women with fistula. The ask was even more succinct- would she like to be part of the camp?
"I did not think twice," she says. "I wanted to do something. I wanted to see whether I could be healed.”
She applied for a few days off her work as a machine operator in Kajiado, and once approved, she got onto the next available night bus and made it to Kisii. Ready for whatever the world would throw her way.
"But before I got on the bus, I had to take some pills that help me hold everything inside," she says.
A key characteristic of fistula patients is the inability to hold urine, feces, or both. The condition causes them to surrender control of their bowel movements, often resulting in embarrassing situations.
“This is what I have been doing for more than the past decade. Before I go to church…before I go to an event…before I go to a public place. This is what I have been doing,” she says.
Her overnight travel meant she was the first potential patient at the medical camp. After closely being examined, a nurse gave a name to what she had been living with for years- a rectovaginal fistula that causes the fecal matter to leak through her vagina.
Those without the luxury of understanding their condition and finding ways of coping are often surrounded by a constant odor that drives loved ones away—husbands abandon them, families withdraw, and communities shun them, believing the condition is a curse or punishment. The psychological toll is unbearable: depression and suicidal thoughts haunt those who once dreamed of raising children, working, and belonging.
To lessen the psychological toll of fistula to women living with the condition, the M-PESA Foundation, in collaboration with other partners such as the Ministry of Health, the Flying Doctors’ Society of Africa (FDSA), and Amref Health Africa, continues organize- since 2016- free fistula camps across the country. Here, women from all walks of life get diagnosed and, critically, access lifesaving surgeries at no cost.
These fistula camps are often the only way out for women like Jackline who suffer through the condition for years.
“This is our way of contributing to the United Nation’s goal of eradicating fistula by 2030,” Lynda Kasina, a trustee of Safaricom Foundation says.
Approximately 4,000 – 5,000 new obstetric fistulas occur in East Africa annually. FDSA (Flying Doctors Society of Africa) estimates that in Kenya about 1,200 fistula operations are performed per year. This represents about 30% of women and girls in desperate need of surgery.
Fistula preys on the most vulnerable among us—women already marginalized by poverty, with no voice in local, national, or global health discussions.
Yet their suffering is not inevitable. With proper medical care, fistula is both preventable and treatable. Every woman living with this injury carries a story of resilience but also of systemic neglect.
Their pain is not just physical—it's the loss of dignity, love, and hope.
It is estimated that one million women worldwide live with untreated fistula.
Behind this staggering estimate are real lives—mothers, daughters, and sisters—enduring unimaginable pain and isolation. Fistula, a devastating childbirth injury, occurs when women in labor cannot access life-saving emergency care.
Trapped in prolonged, obstructed labor without medical help, they survive—but are left with a body that can no longer control urine or feces. The physical agony is only the beginning. The shame, loneliness, and crushing stigma that follow often steal their futures.
In Kenya, roughly 1% of women of reproductive age have experienced fistula-like symptoms, but exact numbers remain unknown. Many suffer in silence, hidden away by a world that misunderstands their condition.
Beyond the relentless leaking and infections, these women face stillbirths, chronic pain, infertility, and nerve damage.
“My family knows about this, and they have given me support,” she says. “But it had its challenges. Fistula is very intrusive. There are things many people take for granted. Things such as attending weddings. Attending funerals. Making love... Because even during intimacy, you get leakages," she says, then pauses.
She looks downwards and starts making her way back to her sterile hospital bed from the window. She gets on the bed and lies face up. Her gaze now towards the heavens.
She shuts her eyes and exhales loudly. For the next 20 minutes, the room is pin-drop silent.
Seventeen years later, she finds herself back on the operating table. This time, not to bring new life into the world but to reclaim one that was lost nearly two decades ago and perhaps have another stab at a life that almost slipped through her fingers.
“I just want to live a normal life,” she says, slowly adjusting her stripped green hospital gown.
She walks to a window in the general ward at Kisii Teaching and Referral Levell 6 Hospital and looks outside towards the undulating hills. Her eyes are unblinking. Her gaze fixated on something only she could see.
When Jackeline Onderi was wheeled into the delivery ward in 2008, her mind was fixed on one thing- the bundle of joy that she would help usher into the world. All those memories borne out of the heartache she and her husband carried in search of another child seemed all too distant.
Finally, the Onderis would have another arrow in their quiver. A second child to bear their family name with pride. At the time, she did not know that the new life she was about to usher into the world would come at great personal sacrifice.
That night, as she pushed to bring a life into the world, a piece of her would die. Altering her existence in ways unimaginable.
Join us for an insightful conversation withDilip Pal, the Chief Finance Officer at Safaricom, as he shares the bold story behind the company’s $850 million investment in Ethiopia.
From overseeing a historic bank transfer to leading Safaricom’s bid to become Ethiopia’s second telecom provider, Dilip reveals the high-stakes decisions that shaped this ambitious venture.
As one of his first projects after joining Safaricom in November 2020, he scrutinized numbers, tackled tough boardroom questions, and helped lay the foundation for this transformative project.
At Safaricom, we believe that what's goodfor the people is ultimately good for business. And creating a positive impact for our customers and communities comes before anything else.
In this podcast, Dilip Pal, Chief Finance Officer - Safaricom PLC, explains Safaricom’s vision to become Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company by 2030 and his strong belief in putting people before profit.
Did you know digital tech supports 70% ofthe 169 SDG targets, potentially saving $55 trillion?
Karen Basiye, Director of SustainableBusiness and Social Impact at Safaricom, shares how digital inclusion drivesprogress toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Karen breaks down Safaricom’s purposestrategy, built on two pillars: People (transforming lives through digitalinclusion) and Planet (catalyzing a net-positive future). From boostingconnectivity to building digital skills and job opportunities, Safaricom ispaving the way for sustainability.
In a world that often recognizes the loudand flashy, Fred Waithaka thrives in quiet strength.
As Safaricom’s Head of Regulatory &Public Policy and acting Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Fred’s reserved,analytical, and hardworking nature has made him a standout in corporate Kenya.
In this episode, we dive into Fred’sjourney—from aspiring veterinarian to a key figure shaping Kenya’s telecom andtech regulatory landscape.
Fred reflects on his introvertedsuperpower, his critical role during the Reject Finance Bill protests in June2025, and Safaricom’s efforts to enhance trust with customers.
Meet Dilip Pal, the whistling CFO of Safaricom PLC , whose unique blend of finance, creativity, and adventure makes him a true renaissance man.
In this captivating podcast, Dilip shares his unforgettable experience witnessing the wildebeest migration in Kenya’sMaasai Mara, a moment that inspired his article The Last Kiss, published in The Asian Weekly and on LinkedIn.
From his passion for wildlife photography to his surprising talent as a whistling performing artist, Dilip’s story is oneof creativity and curiosity.
Discover more about this numbers man, hislove for photography, a massive cassette collection, and family life.
Philanthropy can be simply defined as the love of humanity. In Kenya, philanthropy has come a long way. From simple one-off charity-giving to the more strategic corporate philanthropy. At Safaricom, this is evidenced by the establishment of the Safaricom Foundation in 2003 and the M-PESA Foundation in 2009 as part of the telco’s ambitions to transform lives. Learn more about this transformation with Henry Kilonzo, Senior Manager, Foundations Programmes at Safaricom, in this podcast. #SafaricomNews
Radio transmission in Kenya began in 1927 with the advent of the East African Broadcasting Corporation whose main use then was to relay news. With time, Kenyans were introduced to the late Leonard Mambo Mbotela’s “Je Huu ni Ungwana?” and Fred Obachi Machoka’s music show, “Roga Roga”.More forms of media have emerged over the years, but radio remains relevant despite being the oldest. So why is radio still popular? The reason mainly lies in its affordability. It is a low-cost and popular medium that can reach the remotest areas. However, to remain relevant, radio also had to shift and include a visual element to meet the audience's changing needs. Ghetto Radio was the first station in the country to introduce livestreaming.As we celebrate World Radio Day, watch this video to learn why radio is becoming more visual and what opportunities this shift offers.#SafaricomNews
Innovation is at the heart of Safaricom, and it is the fuel that has seen it grow from a department of the defunct Kenya Post and Telecommunications Corporation to a billion- dollar company over the last 24 years. The techies behind the innovation are driven by a desire to solve real-life problems, improve what is available, and envision what could be in the future. Listen to this podcast to understand Safaricom's journey from a fledgling mobile operator to a tech company. #SafaricomNews
The customer is the lifeblood of any business, and for Safaricom, whose 44 million subscribers use its products and services to fuel their lives, customer obsession is a way of life. Using analytics and big data, Safaricom seeks to leverage technology to cater to the evolving needs of the customer and ensure that the ‘experience of one’ and hyper-personalisation are achieved. Listen to the full conversation here. #SafaricomNews
This podcast explores the incredible story of M-PESA, a mobile money platform that revolutionized financial inclusion in Kenya. From its humble beginnings as a microfinance loan repayment tool to its current status as the region's biggest fintech platform, M-PESA has transformed lives nationwide. #SafaricomNews