Had he pursued the career that his degree had prepared him for, Jude Juma would be a doctor. He graduated from the University of Nairobi’s School of Medicine in 2015 but somewhere along the way, he changed his mind about his career choice and went back to the university.
Inspired by the late Professor Magoha’s words that a degree is merely “the power to go and read,” Juma decided to explore a different path. He enrolled in a second undergraduate degree in IT at JKUAT and also joined a coding boot camp at Moringa School, a technology training institution based in Kenya that specialises in coding and software development. This decision set him on a transformative career trajectory that would eventually lead him to Safaricom.
Born in Kisumu but raised in Kanyaluo, Homa Bay County, Juma came from a remarkably large polygamous family as the son of the late Johnson Omollo. His father passed away when Jude was just four years old, leaving behind a large family. Growing up, Juma was shaped by stories of his father, who, despite not having formal education beyond primary school, found success as a mechanic. His family’s legacy of hard work and resilience deeply influenced Juma.
Life wasn’t easy after his father’s death in 1996. His mother took on the challenge of supporting the family and becoming a preschool teacher despite limited resources. “Teachers in those days didn’t have enough salary to do much. I remember kids would pay my mum with eggs or sisal ropes as school fees,” Juma recalls.
Despite these challenges, he excelled in school, spurred on by his mother’s encouragement to focus on his studies rather than the manual labour that many of his peers pursued. This ignited his passion for learning. He poured himself into his studies, especially in subjects like math and science, and was always among the top students in his class.
After primary school, Juma attended Omboga Mixed Day Secondary School, a place that fostered a strong academic culture. He became involved in math contests and science competitions, nurturing his intellectual curiosity.
While at the University of Nairobi, he focused on academics, engaged in student organizations, initiated medical camps, and connected with a network of peers.
After graduating, his life changed. He transitioned after realizing the tech industry’s potential. His brief but significant journey in medicine and, thereafter, IT saw him join Safaricom through a contracting company. Just three months in, he secured a full-time role in software engineering.
At his workplace, something caught his attention; the company was incorporating an upskilling initiative dubbed ‘2+1 skill program’ that emphasised lifelong learning. “What was an immediate pleasant surprise for me was the fact that learning culture was highly emphasised; HR paid for certifications, learning platforms like Udemy, etc., and also enrolled engineers who wanted to learn programs like the ‘Safaricom Academy,’” Juma said.
He signed up for everything, and the rest has been history.
In four years, he has managed to move from contractor to entry-level engineer, to governance and automation lead, and to senior engineering manager in charge of quality engineering, leading a team of roughly 70 engineers.
“The 2+1 program was started in 2019 when we wanted to shift the organization from being a telco to being a technology company, and the way we could do this was through reskilling, upskilling and multiskilling of the workforce capabilities.” Joyce Nabwire, Operations Lead, Talent & HR Shared Services at Safaricom, said.
After conducting benchmarks with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft, the team identified 13 digital skills that the employees needed to learn. Each employee needed to learn two plus one skill—two digital skills out of the 13 identified from the benchmark and one functional skill, which could also be a digital skill.
The program has made AI and other digital skills more accessible and interesting, with content available in various formats, such as videos, AI simulators, and articles.
A job rotation model was also integrated, allowing employees to express interest in learning new skills outside their current roles.
“The program has been a success. We are currently at 94% completion for 2+1 across the business, meaning 94% of employees have taken it up positively, and we have also had different user stories from different people across the business sharing what it means for them,” Joyce added.
For people like Juma, continuous learning is not just a luxury, it is a necessity.
