Over 35 CIOs and technology leaders from across Tanzania gathered on June 11 in Dar es Salaam to help shape the future of the country's technology leadership community. The inaugural CITO East Africa Tanzania Summit served as an agenda-setting forum, creating space for candid discussions on the priorities that will define the community in the months ahead.

From surviving ‘by God’s grace’ to fending off cyberattacks from around the world, Kevin Korir head of ICT has turned KEWI’s ICT environment into a modern, secure and integrated ecosystem. 

Emmanuella joins the bank from BPR Bank Rwanda, where she has served as Head of Technology and Cybersecurity since 2022.

The evening of 14 May brought together about 50 CIOs from various organisations across Uganda, united by a shared goal: to shape the agenda for the country’s CIO community.

The evening of 16 April marked a defining moment for Rwanda’s technology leadership community, as an exclusive group of chief information officers and senior IT leaders gathered at the Kigali Marriott Hotel for the country’s first CITO East Africa Summit.

Long before he was leading IT at Oasis Healthcare, John Paul Oduor was harvesting flowers as a casual labourer, armed with a diploma in IT and a quiet determination to do more. His story is about saying yes, again and again, and building from wherever you stand.

The Stanbic CIO shares how running transformed from a dreaded chore into a lifestyle, and how the lessons of endurance, discipline and community continue to shape his leadership.

Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday decision-making across East Africa’s technology landscape, yet many organisations are still navigating how to adopt it responsibly. Abdulrazaaq Adan, Kenlewis Nderi and Erick Ngwiri share how they are using AI, and why human oversight remains critical.

Edgar Malili’s leadership style is all about patience, consistency and practicality. At WEC Lines, he handles complex systems, compliance and cybersecurity with a calm and focused approach. Outside of work, he applies the same discipline to training his seven dogs. For Edgar, success whether in technology or life, is about being prepared, sticking to routines, and understanding both people and animals.

Finance and technology leaders are finding their roles more intertwined than ever. The success of any organisation increasingly depends on how well its finance directors and chief information officers work together to balance innovation with impact. While technology brings the tools and possibilities, finance keeps the business grounded in value creation and measurable results.

Dr Mwirigi Kiula’s life has been marked by hardship, resilience, and faith. Growing up, he struggled to stay in school due to financial constraints. Today, he serves as the deputy vice chancellor of finance and administration at St Paul’s University, leading with the conviction that every challenge is part of God’s greater plan.

CITO East Africa joined the graduation of the CIO Leadership Programme Class of 2025 at Strathmore University, celebrating 11 senior IT executives as they transitioned from technical experts to strategic, business-focused digital leaders. The graduates expressed enthusiasm to join CITO East Africa, expand their professional networks and continue learning while driving impact across the region through the CITO community.

Faith Muricho, operations manager at AWS Kenya, credits her growth in tech to mentors who believed in her before she believed in herself. From leading Absa’s tech rebrand to helping launch AWS in Kenya, she has built a career rooted in problem-solving, resilience and leadership. She is passionate about mentoring young professionals and making technology and AI more accessible.

Faith Nkatha’s career spans some of the region’s top leadership roles in tech and strategy; but it’s her unwavering faith and sense of purpose that define her journey. Whether in the boardroom or the pulpit, she leads with heart, believing that every assignment is divine and every role is a chance to change lives.

Stanbic Bank Kenya CIO Alex Siboe Wekunda has quietly shaped East Africa’s digital landscape. In this candid conversation, he shares his career wins and why, if AI ever tried to replace him, it had better be ready for a long hike.

For Laolu Akindele, partner and leader of PwC’s Technology Consulting practice in East Africa, technology is no longer a support function; it is the engine that will determine whether organisations grow, stagnate or fall behind.

Jubilee Holdings’ group CIO Julius Orayo took a different route to the top by stepping out of IT for 14 years before returning to lead it with a business-first mindset. He shares what powers his strategy, why talent retention is a daily battle, and what scares him more than a missed deadline.

He previously served as chief information and digital officer, and earlier as CIO at DTB Uganda, before being appointed group head of the system development centre at DTB Bank.

Mercy Kimani’s journey at Nation Media Group began as an intern curious about how the tech team worked. More than two decades later, she heads the IT Operations function across four countries, leading bold projects, championing homegrown solutions and embracing AI to future-proof East Africa’s largest media house.

At DHL Express Kenya, head of IT Peter Kuya focuses on making technology work quietly in the background so people can shine. With a hands-on approach and a belief that good systems should never get in the way, he is bringing that philosophy to life, one system and one team at a time.

Prior to this role, Jectone served as IT lead at Cold Solutions Kenya, where he led the digital transformation of one of East Africa’s leading cold chain logistics providers.

Amiri Sultani Mziray, head of IT at I&M Bank Tanzania, describes his leadership style as shielding his team from distractions so they can focus on innovation. A strategist at heart, he has unified infrastructure, pioneered Tanzania’s first non-telco mobile wallet and is now embedding AI into banking.

As acting head of business technology at Tropical Bank, Ochen Solomon Eliud has driven digital transformation and delivered impact despite limited resources and a tough regulatory climate.

Jean-Marie Gashonga has spent his career building technology systems and empowering teams to deliver results. As IT manager at Old Mutual Insurance Rwanda, he has modernised core systems for insurance operations, championed automation and fostered collaboration within the wider IT leadership community. In this conversation, he shares how innovation, people and shared knowledge are shaping the future of insurance technology.

ICT Manager at Bimas Kenya Kimathi Marangu has spent nearly a decade designing solutions that make technology accessible and impactful for low-income communities.

Prior to his appointment, James Mugo served as IT manager at Tropikal Brands Afrika, where he led ERP upgrades, sales force automation, production process automation, and cybersecurity enhancements.

Jectone Onyuka, IT lead at Cold Solutions, is using automation, AI and smart infrastructure to streamline operations and cut costs across East Africa. He is building IT systems that are lean, secure and business-driven without losing sight of the human side of change.

Prior to her appointment, Sandrine Uwituze served as product owner at the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), where she led agile-driven digital transformation projects, including the ISHEMA contribution collection engine, the Ejo Heza savings platform, and the e-Kimina solution for savings groups.

James Kwezi is on a mission to do more than digitalise; he is securing the future of finance in Rwanda. As digital transformation manager at AFR, he is driving responsible innovation, building cyber resilience and leading the charge on ethical AI. He shares how strategy, vigilance and vision are shaping the next chapter of digital development.

Guided by the memory of his father’s IT career, Christopher Ochieng has built a 15-year legacy in the water sector, steering multi-million-shilling projects and introducing AI to dam operations. Now assistant ICT director at Athi Water Works, he is pushing for smart technologies that could transform how Kenya manages one of its most precious resources.

Tadeo Kyeyune, CTO at Tugende, is keen on creating change that brings impact. He is building versatile teams and making data accessible for thousands of users, blending engineering rigour with business insight while keeping technology aligned with growth, customer needs and the future of AI.

Sandrine Uwituze led the launch of Ishema, Rwanda’s national social security platform, before she turned 30. She shares insights into her new role as a deployment lead, her passion for clean data and how early mornings at the gym set the tone for high-impact workdays.

Girma Kassa’s journey from a young Ethiopian accountant to a regional tech leader spans three continents and two decades of digital transformation. Now at the helm of SAP’s operations across East, West, and Southern Africa, Girma is not just implementing software, he is on a mission to shift mindsets, nurture local talent and champion AI adoption.

Vinod Sharma began his career in the late 1990s, just as banking was starting to go digital. Since then, he has worked across business and tech roles in financial services, helping shape forward-looking products like payments and embedded finance, while also strengthening compliance and fraud prevention – always with an eye on where the industry is headed next and what he can do to drive innovation.

When a financial setback forced him to pause his final year of university, Dan Okello didn’t quit – he recalibrated. Today, as head of systems and data analytics at C-Care Uganda, he leads a digital transformation, showing how resilience and a deep understanding of healthcare can drive lasting change.

Russell Akuom’s love for computers was purely accidental, sparked by a stint in a cybercafé after high school. That chance encounter set him on a path that now sees him leading Nation Media Group’s digital strategy, while finding time for his hobbies like marathons, hikes and kickboxing.

Eric Karerangabo isn’t just leading IT at the Rwanda Green Fund, he is building its climate finance digital backbone. From custom-built M&E tools to patented commercial solutions, Eric’s hands-on tech expertise now powers major initiatives at the fund.

Hawa Mwakatundu didn’t just rise through the tech ranks; she rewired them. Starting on the customer side of the screen, she now leads Tanzania’s Smart Africa Group’s technology subsidiary as Smartnology’s CTO. She reflects on challenging boardroom assumptions and building the company’s entire IT infrastructure from scratch.

Michael Monda, principal ICT officer at ATIDI, shares his 17-year journey in tech leadership. He reflects on the power of AI, the evolving cybersecurity landscape, and why family and community remain at the heart of his mission.

From turning down a government scholarship to choosing tech over tradition, Emmanuella Nzahabonimana has chartered her own path to the top. As head of technology at BPR Bank Rwanda – and the only female head of technology at KCB Group – she shares how staying calm, pushing boundaries, and lifting others has shaped her leadership journey.

Richard Ssenono wants to build a digital legacy across borders. The head of information services at Makerere University’s Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) is bridging the gap between health and tech and doing it on his own terms

As global director of data and analytics at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Erick Ngwiri is leading data transformation on a global scale, while exploring cultures through cuisine in his downtime.

Faith Nkatha Gitonga, head of technology and digital transformation at the Tony Blair Institute, shares a powerful, humorous, and deeply personal take on what it means to be a woman in tech, the strength of saying ‘no’, and why a strong support system matters just as much as ambition.

Kenlewis Nderi believes the best way to solve a problem is to never have to solve it again. At Kenfreight East Africa, he’s leading a regional IT operation rooted in automation, cloud innovation and cybersecurity strategy – all while building a culture of proactive problem-solving and continuous learning.

Abdulrazaaq Adan is redefining ICT leadership in East Africa’s energy sector. As group head of ICT at Hass Group, he is leading digital transformation across seven countries through stabilising systems, championing cloud migration, and integrating regional platforms.

From Tanzania to Kenya, Robert Rutahoile has helped build GTBank’s IT backbone from the ground up. As the bank’s Head of IT in Kenya, Robert brings a rare blend of deep technical expertise, cultural fluency and a people-first leadership style. Having navigated the complexities of regional expansion, he knows that true transformation isn’t just about infrastructure - it’s about understanding people.

Prior to his appointment, Dr Mwirigi Kiula served as director of ICT & innovation at Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital (KUTRRH)

Justine Opira didn’t start his career in a server room. But his determination and passion for innovation have propelled him to his current role as ICT officer at Amref Health Africa in Uganda. He shares his unlikely journey – and why building a tech community matters.

For Deborah Masara, acting head of technology and operations at KMRC, the boundaries between science fiction and real-world technological innovation are fascinatingly blurred. The future she glimpses through sci-fi movies fuels her drive in her professional life, where she finds profound satisfaction in developing technology solutions.

Britam group CIO Tom Juma is no ordinary tech leader. With a career built on turning around broken systems, a sharp sense of humour, and a deep commitment to business-first IT, Tom is redefining what it means to lead in the digital era.

From PHP developer to director of engineering, Ideon van Niekerk’s story reflects ambition, resilience and growth. He shares how he leads remote teams, tackles the challenges of business in East Africa, and builds innovative tech solutions for WhatsApp-based repeat loans.