Stephen Chege

Stephen is the Group Chief External Affairs Officer at Safaricom PLC, effective October 2025. In this capacity, he oversees Safaricom’s Regulatory, External and Corporate Affairs, Public Policy, Corporate Communication Strategy, Media Relations, Group Corporate Social Investments, ESG & Sustainability, and the integration of purpose into the company’s operations.

His mandate extends across Safaricom Group and its subsidiaries, including Safaricom Ethiopia.

Before this appointment, Stephen served as Chief External Affairs Officer at Vodacom Group from November 2021 to September 2025. His portfolio included Regulatory, External and Corporate Affairs, covering Public Policy, Communications, Media Relations, Group Corporate Social Investment (CSI), and Sustainability across Vodacom’s markets: DRC, Lesotho,

Mozambique, Tanzania, and South Africa, as well as Vodafone Ghana. He also provided support to Safaricom PLC and Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC.

Stephen’s journey at Safaricom began in 2006 as an In-House Counsel. He progressed to Senior Manager, Public Policy & Market Regulation, before being appointed Head of Regulatory and Public Policy in 2011. In 2015, he became Director, Corporate Affairs, a role later retitled Chief Corporate Affairs Officer which he held until November 2021.

With over 17 years of experience in telecommunications, including a stint at Vodafone Group UK, Stephen brings a deep understanding of regulatory and corporate affairs in Africa’s dynamic telecom sector. He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, a Notary Public, and a Certified Public Secretary. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Trade and Investment Law and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), both from the University of Nairobi.