Dr. Shikoh Gitau
Dr. Shikoh Gitau is a distinguished Kenyan computer scientist, entrepreneur, and visionary leader at the forefront of Africa’s digital transformation. Born in Mathare and raised in Nakuru, Shikoh’s academic journey was rooted in resilience. She completed her undergraduate degree in Computer Science at Africa Nazarene University, earning top honors and leadership awards along the way. Driven to make meaningful impact in Africa, she pursued both an MSc and PhD in Computer Science at the University of Cape Town.
Early in her career, Shikoh developed two groundbreaking mobile applications: M-Ganga (targeted at health and medicine delivery) and Ummeli, which matches unemployed workers with employers—serving over 300,000 users, with nearly 20% gaining jobs and 10% earning interviews.
Shikoh’s leadership footprint spans major organizations, including Google Emerging Markets, Microsoft, African Development Bank—where she led inclusive tech initiatives and co-authored the Digital Government Blueprint, adopted by Smart Africa—and Safaricom, where she established and led Safaricom Alpha, the continent’s first corporate innovation hub.
Since founding Qhala in 2020, Shikoh has steered the company as CEO in catalyzing digital transformation across sectors like health, agriculture, payments, renewable energy, and education. She also serves on multiple boards—including Longhorn Publishers (appointed as Independent Director in 2024), and others spanning innovation and academia.
Famous Quote
Innovation begins and ends with your people… Place your customer at the center; it may not have immediate monetary value, but it will in the long run.
— Dr. Shikoh Gitau
