Of Community Impact, Awards, Career Growth and connecting with friends: My February 2025 Recap
Many can talk but few can communicate…
The sun has finally set on February 2025, the year is moving quite fast for me and I have that feeling like I am struggling to keep up. That was a picture I took from an SGR train on 28th February 2025, as I was heading back to Nairobi from Mombasa.
Over the past fortnight, I have been on a roller coaster of activities and events with the delightful ones being at the beautiful Kenyan Coast. Let me take you on a journey of how my February was:
Master in Communication and Media Showcase Event
It all started with the impactful Master in Communication and Media Showcase Event in Pwani Kilifi County where I was honored to represent Write The Docs Kenya Community as a panelist alongside amazing co-panelists as we discussed various aspects of Technical Communication and how it is shaping the future in a massively technological world. Our founder for WTD Kenya, Hillary Nyakundi delivered a keynote on what the community has been up to over the past 3 years as we create spaces for awareness and knowledge sharing on technical documentation and communication.
During the MCM Event, I got an amazing opportunity to meet a longtime friend with whom we had served in the Afro-Latin Dance Association of Kenya and who is doing amazing things in Kilifi County and at Pwani University. I also met the former ISACA Student Group President for Pwani University Juma Emiri who was also attending the event.
While at it, I had a chance to visit one of my students in Mariakani, happy with her progress in the tech career journey with the support of an amazing industrial supervisor who I could not label any better than one of the most astute Generalists I have ever met having worked across 5 different industries spanning from Banking & Finance, Healthcare, Education and even Social Work in Somalia. A great storyteller I can say.
We capped the week with a courtesy meetup of Nairobi DevOps Community Managers: Maamun, Ian, Tabitha as we discussed strategies and initiatives to grow the community while having one of the most delicious Coastal Delicacies: Pilau and Biryani.
We thereafter made a tour of Old Town, Fort Jesus and Waterfront wrapping up with several coconuts because it is one of the few sound proofs that you really had an awesome time at the coast marked with a surprise we gave Tabitha, one of the leaders at both Write The Docs Kenya and Nairobi DevOps Community on her birthday that was marked while we were in Kilifi.
Digital Transformation Public Sector Forum and Awards 2025
This past week, I was back at the Coast this time for the Digital Transformation Public Sector Forum and Awards as the ODeL Coordinator and Chair, Tharaka University Digitalization Committee alongside Prof. Veronica Nyaga, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics, Research and Student Affairs) to present our flagship Digital Transformation Project: Secure and Scalable Digital Learning Infrastructure for Enhanced Teaching and Learning. It was surreal to know that out of the three nominations that made it to the final round, our project bagged first place in the Education Sector. It was an achievement that underpins the institution's commitment towards leveraging technology and digital communication to enhance teaching, research and community outreach.
During the DTPS 2025 Forum and Awards, I had a chance to meet Levi Cheruo, my classmate from way back in High School, who is a Medical Doctor and an Entrepreneur with a Tech startup, Doctors Explain. Reliving our High School memories and sharing what we have been up to since then was super refreshing.
The Men’s Book Breakfast Q1 2025 Season
While all this was taking place, I also had the opportunity to get started on the first The Men’s Book Breakfast (TMBB) season of the year: The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling with an amazing group of gentlemen with our lead moderator being Michael Mbiyu with the team comprising: Lawrence Githinji, Sajjad Mustafa, Kevin Wabwire, Nick Ng’ang’a, Dennis Ogega, Mbugua Huho, Oswald Lionel and C Morenge. The insights from the gentlemen from diverse backgrounds on the 4 Disciplines requires a whole article of its own.
AWS AI/ML User Group Kenya Launch
February was also a special one as we held our inaugural event as AWS Usergroup AI/ML Kenya attended by 50 members after weeks of planning and dedication by the amazing leadership Team: Sherry, Jully, Rachael, Daniel and Misheck. Willie Ng’ang’a, Founder of Nairobi AI Community and a longtime friend whom we had the privilege to attend AWS re: Invent 2024 together in Las Vegas, shared insights on how we can leverage AWS AI/ML for transformational impact in Africa
DadaSTEM Mentorship
It has been consistency over the last 4 months as a Mentor for DadaSTEM with these two amazing ladies: Stacy and Charity who have been able to catch all the curveballs I throw at them in form of books to read, tasks to complete and feedback to provide. I can say it is a mentorship journey I have enjoyed the most.
The Academic Journey Continues: PhD in Computer Science
This was also the month I got started in my PhD in Computer Science journey with an interesting topic on the importance of productive stupidity in scientific research echoing that you need to be comfortable with the feeling that you don’t even have an idea of what you are doing hence feeling stupid as you undertake your scientific research. It was interesting to learn that there is a comprehensive published article on this that sheds light on the intricacies of scientific research.
PMI Kenya Chapter Membership Volunteering
I also had the privilege to be selected to lead the Student Membership sub-docket for the PMI Kenya Chapter as we establish proactive initiatives to create awareness of the Project Management Field to students and faculty in Universities and Colleges.
To cap it off, at the start of the month I received a humble invite to share my personal and professional experiences on the Personal Leadership. The session moderated by Tafadzwa and Dorcas was an intriguing one for me and the ALX Professional Foundations Learners as we discussed Imposter Syndrome, Thinking too much about what other people think and the importance of celebrating your own wins consistently just like I am doing through this February recap Article.
Huawei: Taking on new Clouds while securing the network
Just when I thought I was done with Feb, I remembered a challenge I took on in Feb to support Fred the Huawei Cloud Service Instructor in mentoring the Kenya participants of the Huawei ICT Competition to prepare them for the regional final competition that took place on the final Thursday of February and are positive that Kenya did well and they will represent Africa at the Global stage in China.
I also had the opportunity to do a curriculum brief over 350 participants who have been selected to participate in the Communications Authority Cybersecurity Bootcamp 2025This is thanks to Michael Kamau, the Huawei ICT Academy Program Manager.
Wrapping up…
As you might have noticed especially in the physical interactions, the most important thing that stood out is quality human interactions. I treasure my circle of friends and colleagues so if there is a way to improve the quality of my interactions with them I would definitely do it. What are you doing to contribute to quality interactions? It can be as simple as being available, actively listening and supporting them in their journey as you can.
I wish I could tell all the stories of how eventful February has been but I guess that’s enough to show the awesome things I have been upto and make up for all the posts I should have made in February on LinkedIn.
Wth that, we are marching on into March. Catch you soon on the next one.
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