Who is Patrick Sifuna?

I am a Business Performance Analyst at Safaricom, based in the Greater Western Region. I also farm chickens and dairy.

You had good grades in high school that could have been a one-way ticket to university, but you ended up as a cleaner instead.

I got a B- in high school in 2008 but was unable to raise funds to attend university. I secured a job as a cleaner at a Safaricom shop in Bungoma, where I worked for six months. In December 2009, I was moved to the Kakamega shop because there was some construction going on there.

I decided to enrol for a bachelor’s in finance (business management option) degree course (in 2010). The Safaricom team supported me by raising funds for me. I studied part-time while doing the cleaning job.

You lost your job, though, but how was this a blessing in disguise?

In 2012, I had to stop the cleaning job as my manager told me I was giving a lot of time to studies; I had to choose one.  I stopped the job, but I still came back, as the manager decided to keep me as a brand ambassador assisting them with selling phones. I think that is where I discovered myself quite a bit. We were doing a lot of laptop setups during those days. That is where I got interested in knowing about Internet things and stuff.

A lot has happened since 2013, which has solidified your passion for analytics. Tell us about that.

Just before my graduation in 2013, I got the opportunity to be onboarded as a Customer Experience Executive (CEE). I held the CEE role, which is front-facing customer service, until around 2015, when I moved to Stock Controller.  In 2022, with job rotation, I became Team Leader at Tuffoam Mall.

During my time there, I did exemplary well because I moved the Net Promoter score (NPS) from as low as 60 to around 75.

From there, I came back to my role for about a year. Then, in 2023, an opportunity came about. The regional team wanted someone to support them during their meetings, help them do analytics, make sense of insights, and derive information from lots of data. That is how I found myself in business analytics.

I had done data analytics on LinkedIn as a stock controller, so this prepared me well for the role – being able to appreciate lots of data that I’m now interacting with full-time.

What fuelled this passion for data analytics?

The passion came when it was directly linked with my undergraduate course because you’ll realise that you’ve interacted with most statistics at some point. I had interacted with numbers in most Excels at some point. So, I think I had that interest in terms of interacting with numbers, not just numbers, but big numbers. Of course, now that gives me confidence that this one, I think, can propel me further.

In what way has Safaricom supported your growth and development in your career?

I would say Safaricom has done a 360-degree job of preparing me for each role I have held. In my studies, the support came from within. My advancement in terms of understanding analytics has also come from Safaricom and the resources available within it. To understand people management, when I was the team leader, I was given a chance again to go for rotation within Safaricom.

It’s because of Safaricom that I came to realise that there’s a data analytics course. This was through the One More Skill programme. I got to know it because of the courses that we were being exposed to on LinkedIn. It prepared me to be comfortable when I got that role for business performance; it was easy for me to gel in and continue doing the work that I was expected to do. I think I am a true reflection of what it means to transform lives because everything that has happened around my space is all about Safaricom.

What challenges have you faced in your career, and how have you overcome them?

I know quite a number of us have a lot, and most of it is normally financial. When I finished high school, that transition didn’t happen at first, and it might not have happened; had I joined another company, I may not have proceeded to do something else; balancing my work as a cleaner and class work, but I think these really prepared me for the next role. Of course, challenges are there (but one has to) remain steadfast.

Who have been the mentors who’ve supported your career growth?

I started with a manager called Livingstone Migwi. When he left, he handed over to Simon Namwamba, who was my manager in Kakamega and has been my mentor. He’s really taught me quite a lot. He showed me how to do everything I needed to do and has been there all the way.

What is the one lesson that you’d pass on to someone wanting to get into this career?

Nothing comes easy, but do not fear. Potholes will be there, but just start and keep pushing because if you don’t, it won’t come. Push yourself to make sure that you deliver on whatever you desire.

Who is Patrick outside the office?

Patrick is a family man. After work, I join my family at home and then, apart from that, of course, I study. I’m still interested in continuing with my studies, so I’m doing my project on finance as well. I’m still pushing on.

What life lessons have you learned, and how are they shaping you as a person?

Change is constant. Be ready for changes whenever you see them, and understand how to manage them so that you can transition. Be ready for anything. Things will come, and challenges will be there, but remain steadfast and keep pushing.

What is the best thing someone has done for you on this journey?

Of course, paying for my school fees, the guys came through. I think that was the beginning of everything. The colleagues that were there really came through.

What are your future ambitions?

I’m interested in finance. I’m studying master’s in finance at Masinde Muliro University because I know the challenges people have in understanding the investment journey and the decisions we make around money. It is a big contributor to mental health within our society. This is something I need to pursue to help myself and the people that I interact with to just make better decisions in terms of understanding the investments and what needs to be considered when you’re making financial decisions.