Boniface Mungania confirmed as Safaricom's Chief Financial Services Officer

Safaricom has made permanent the interim role its M-PESA executive has held since July, effective 1 November 2026.

What happened

Safaricom has confirmed Boniface Mungania, OGW, as its Chief Financial Services Officer, effective 1 November 2026 [2][3]. He has held the role on an interim basis since July, when his predecessor, Esther Waititu, left the company [2][3]. The appointment was announced on a Friday after the company received the necessary regulatory approvals [3]. Mungania reports to Group CEO Peter Ndegwa and takes charge of M-PESA [3].

The sources differ on how the confirmation was made public. [2] attributes it to a post by Mbugua Njihia, described as Safaricom's advisor, while [3] quotes a Safaricom statement.

Why Kenyans are searching for it

The sources do not explain why the name is being searched for. They report the appointment and Mungania's career, but they do not describe a specific reaction, controversy or event that would account for a rise in interest.

Mungania joined Safaricom in 2007 as a customer care representative and later held several senior roles, including Head of M-PESA Products and Services Development, Payments Tribe Lead and Director of Public Sector Digital Transformation [1][2][3]. He first served as acting Chief Financial Services Officer from mid-2022 until February 2023, when Waititu was appointed [3]. [2] describes the earlier period differently, as acting Chief Digital Financial Services Officer for ten months from June 2022.

Key facts

• Effective date of the permanent appointment: 1 November 2026 [2][3].
• Joined Safaricom in 2007 as a customer care representative [1][2][3].
• Experience at the company is described as nearly two decades [3] and more than 19 years [2].
• In the financial year to March 2026, M-PESA revenue grew 13.4 per cent and made up 45.6 per cent of Safaricom's revenue mix [3].
• Waititu joined Safaricom in 2023 from KCB Group and left at the end of July 2026 [2][3].
• In his previous role, Mungania led national digital transformation initiatives across agriculture, healthcare, small and medium-sized enterprises and public finance, according to Safaricom [2][3].

What to watch

Attention is likely to focus on M-PESA, which Safaricom describes as its largest growth engine [3], as Mungania takes charge from 1 November 2026. The sources do not set out any further plans, policy changes or strategic priorities for the role.

Sources

1. [1] Boniface Mungania appointed Safaricom's new chief financial services officer - The Star, Kenya
2. [2] Safaricom names Boniface Mungania as CFO - Condia
3. [3] Mungania Lands M-PESA Job He Has Twice Held In An Acting Capacity - CIO Africa

Compiled by the NairobiCity trend desk from the sources above.