Safaricom’s Director of Sustainable Business, Social Impact, and Foundations, Karen Basiye, has been officially named a 2026 Corporate Social Innovator of the Year by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
The announcement was made during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, where Basiye was recognized for her transformative leadership in integrating social and environmental impact into the core of one of Africa’s largest telecommunications companies.
Basiye’s recognition at Davos is the culmination of years of hands-on impact, most notably her oversight of the M-PESA Foundation. Under her leadership, the Foundation has spent the last 15 years transitioning from philanthropic giving to high-impact, capital-intensive projects that address Kenya’s most systemic challenges.
Her tenure has been marked by several defining milestones that exemplify the Spirit of Safaricom:
- Basiye has spearheaded the construction of state-of-the-art maternal and newborn units in 30 Kenyan counties. In regions like Lamu, these interventions have led to a drastic reduction in maternal mortality and a surge in child immunization rates to 92%.
- She has championed a dedicated fistula program that provides restorative surgery to women, some of whom had lived with the condition for decades. Basiye often cites the story of a 90-year-old patient who, after surgery, felt her life was “just beginning”, a testament to the human-centric focus of her work.
- From the Nairobi Green Line to the restoration of the Mau Ecosystem and the protection of endangered species in Ruma National Park, Basiye has ensured that Safaricom’s legacy is as green as it is digital.
At Safaricom, Basiye has moved the needle beyond traditional CSR. She has successfully embedded Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into the company’s DNA, using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) not as a checklist, but as a roadmap for a net-positive future.
Safaricom PLC CEO Dr. Peter Ndegwa (right) and Safaricom’s Sustainable Business Director, Karen Basiye
Her strategy relies heavily on Precision Public Health and technology. In remote areas like Samburu, she has integrated telemedicine and automated SMS reminders in local languages to ensure expectant mothers never miss a clinic appointment, using Safaricom’s core technology to bridge the healthcare gap.
As Basiye joins the elite Schwab Foundation community, which has collectively impacted nearly 1 billion lives, she is already looking toward the next 50 years. Her current focus is the Citizens of the Future initiative, a multi-billion shilling program designed to modernize 600 schools with ICT and science labs and provide scholarships for the next generation of African leaders.
“I envision a green and thriving nation where desertification is a thing of the past and no mother dies giving birth,” Basiye stated recently. “My hope is that future generations will look back and say the people who came before them had a vision and a plan.”
Tinderet MP Julius Melly, President Ruto’s Aide, Farouk Kibet, Safaricom’s Director of Sustainable Business and Social Impact, Karen Basiye, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and the Principal Chepsaita Secondary School Principal, Mcnamara Ayuku at M-PESA Foundation’s groundbreaking event at the school.
Basiye’s recognition at Davos-Klosters places her among 21 global pioneers. She joins a community of 510 social innovators supported by the Schwab Foundation, gaining access to a three-year journey of global networking and capacity building.
“The next decade must move the models of social innovation from the margins to the mainstream,” said François Bonnici, Director of the Schwab Foundation. By placing Kenya and Africa at the center of the global conversation on responsible business, Karen Basiye is proving that when society thrives, business thrives alongside it.