Nzioka Waita is the Corporate Affairs Director at Safaricom, where he oversees, Legal Services, Regulatory Affairs, Corporate Responsibility and Corporate Communications. He joined Safaricom in 2001 as a Legal Officer responsible for Site Acquisition and thereafter rose steadily through the ranks to serve the company in various capacities ranging from his role as Legal Services Manager between 2002 and 2007 and thereafter as Head of Legal & Regulatory Affairs between the years of 2007 and 2010 followed by a brief stint as Head of Strategy & New Business responsible for driving the company’s mergers and acquisitions agenda, a position he held until April 2011 when he took up his present role.
Nzioka is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a Certified Public Secretary, he holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Sheffield and a Post Graduate Diploma in IT & Communications Law from Queen Mary, University of London both in the United Kingdom. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Law (LLM) in IT & Communications Law at Queen Mary.
Nzioka is also a founding Trustee of the Safaricom Foundation, a role he has held from August 2003.
We had a few questions for him and this is what he had to say:
1. What was your first phone?
I think it was a Nokia 3310.
2. What do you prefer? Facebook or Twitter? Why?
Facebook. The people are friendlier plus I know most of them 🙂
3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years
Doing amazing things that anyone who really knows me knows I’ve been dying to do!!
4. Any question for us? We’ll publish our answer as well.
When it comes to how you value your country. Do you believe in the concept of the whole being greater than the sum total of its parts?
Yes. Because the country is a constant, everything else (systems, government, people) will change, but the country will remain.
5. What would you do if you were president for a day?
I’d start a national fund for street children to give them a chance at a better life.
6. What’s your favourite book & movie?
A book by Daniel Branch called Kenya: Between Hope and Despair
On the movie its a tough one. It’s a dead tie between the Usual Suspects and the Kingdom of Heaven.
7. Who/What inspired you to do what you do now?
The love for my job, the refusal to follow the trodden and predictable path and my thirst for new challenges are my key motivators.
8. If you were to change jobs, what profession would you get into? Why?
I’d probably be a chef with my own family friendly restaurant. I love cooking and hosting friends and family.
9. If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Definitely teleportation. I would love to see as much of the world as I can in the shortest time possible. Hopefully I can carry some fishing gear with me as well.
10. If you were deserted on an abandoned island what 5 things would you want to have?
Hmmm.
- Hunting knife
- First aid box(with penicillin)
- Good walking boots
- Binoculars
- Journal (which hopefully comes with a pen)
11. If you were a car, what car would you like to be? Why?
A hardtop land cruiser VX. Tough, reliable and a “go everywhere anytime” kind of car.
12. If you could be in any other band in the world, which one would you like to be in? Why?
Band? No bands for me. I don’t have a musical bone in my body. I’d probably just want to be in a front row seat watching Adele singing live in concert.
13. Share something interesting about yourself with our readers.
I was a radio DJ in university. I would occasionally side hustle playing at the University clubs :-).
I’ve driven in the Safari Rally twice.I rolled my car the first time round in the last stage of the event and the second time I did it I had a clean run and came 14th overall.