“Building the Rails of Inclusion”: Esther Waititu Unveils Safaricom’s Fintech Future Beyond M-Pesa at Decode 4.0



Nairobi, Kenya 

 Day Two of the Decode 4.0 Summit opened with a powerful address by Esther Waititu, whose remarks firmly positioned fintech at the center of Kenya’s economic future while reflecting on a 19-year journey that has transformed how millions of Kenyans access and use financial services.
Speaking in her capacity as Chief Financial Services Officer at Safaricom, Waititu underscored the company’s 25 years of purpose-driven innovation, noting that its greatest achievements have been grounded in solving real Kenyan problems. She pointed to the evolution of M-Pesa as a defining example—what began nearly two decades ago as a simple mobile money transfer service has grown into a critical national infrastructure.
“M-Pesa’s 19-year journey is a testament to the power of local innovation,” she said, describing how the platform has become deeply embedded in everyday life, enabling millions to transact, save, and access financial services with ease.

Waititu revealed that in September 2025, Safaricom completed a major overhaul of the platform, ushering in Fintech 2.0. The upgraded system now processes up to 6,000 transactions per second on a cloud-native architecture capable of adapting, detecting fraud, and self-healing—marking a significant leap in scalability and resilience.

She further highlighted the expansion of Daraja 3.0, Safaricom’s developer platform, which now supports over 66,000 integrations across 105,000 developers. The platform enhances identity verification, secure onboarding, and fraud detection—key components in strengthening trust within the digital financial ecosystem.
Her remarks set the stage for broader discussions on Day Two, where stakeholders explored emerging fintech solutions including AI-powered credit scoring, blockchain-enabled cross-border payments, and data-driven financial products aimed at expanding inclusion, particularly for SMEs and underserved communities.

Participants also emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between regulators, financial institutions, and technology providers to ensure innovation is matched with robust consumer protection and cybersecurity measures.

Waititu concluded with a bold vision of Safaricom becoming “the air that fuels the financial services ecosystem,” stressing that the goal is not just to move money, but to move people—from uncertainty to stability, and from poverty to prosperity.
As Decode 4.0 continues, Day Two reinforced a clear message: Kenya’s fintech journey—now 19 years in the making—is entering a new era defined by scale, innovation, and deeper impact on livelihoods.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Patrick mucheleka calls for importance of turning restoration commitments into practical actions.

Image
The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) officially launched the Subregional Workshop on Biodiversity Monitoring and Reporting, focusing on Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The workshop, held at RCMRD premises in Nairobi, brings together policymakers, researchers, and partners from across the region to strengthen capacity in biodiversity monitoring and data-driven conservation. Mr. Patrick Mucheleka, Chairperson of the RCMRD Governing Council and Permanent Secretary of Zambia’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, opened the event with remarks highlighting the importance of turning restoration commitments into practical actions. “Across our region, ecosystems are under pressure, and communities depend directly on nature for their livelihoods. Restoration is not an abstract concept — it is about livelihoods, resilience, and dignity,” he said. Mr. Mucheleka also emphasized the significance of RCMRD’s new role as a...
Read more

Kenya to Launch AI-Powered Disability Innovation Project at Kenya Institute of Special Education

Image
Kenya is preparing to launch a major Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ICT-driven initiative at the Kenya Institute of Special Education aimed at expanding economic opportunities for young persons with disabilities through innovation, training, and technology development. The project, supported by government agencies and private sector partners including Huawei, seeks to harness Artificial Intelligence to promote inclusive education, assistive technology development, and employment creation. It is designed to bridge the gap between innovation and real-world needs, particularly for persons with disabilities and their caregivers. Speaking ahead of the launch,The Director of the Kenya Institute of Special Education  Dr. Norman Kiogora.  described the initiative as a timely response to growing demand for inclusive solutions. The institution noted that reported cases of disabilities, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, appear to be increasing, with boys showing a particu...
Read more

Dr. Igbemi Arthur Igbemi: Health Sector Reformer Rising to Pan-African Recognition and Impact

Image
At the prestigious Global African prestige leadership award ceremony held in Nairobi , Dr. Igbemi Arthur was named recipient of the Pan African Service Excellence Award—an honor celebrating outstanding leadership, innovation, and transformative public service across the continent. The award recognizes his pioneering work in strengthening healthcare systems and advancing inclusive health coverage in , where his reforms have reshaped how public health insurance is delivered at the state level. A Bold Appointment That Changed the Script Dr. Igbemi journey is defined by an unconventional but visionary decision. As Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno—credited with introducing Igembi-inspired governance principles into the state’s public service model—made a bold move by appointing him as a permanent Secretary of the State in the public service of Akwa Ibom State. At the time, the norm was for Permanent Secretaries to serve within ministri...
Read more