DJ Cheche by Night, M-PESA Engineer by Day: Edith Chepngetich

By day, she’s fine-tuning M-PESA systems. By night, she’s spinning soulful Afro House tunes. Meet Edith Chepngetich, also known behind the decks as DJ Chechea Safaricom systems engineer who codes better with a soundtrack and lives her best double life between two very different worlds.

In this edition of Faces of Safaricom, we catch up with Edith to talk tech, turntables, and how she’s mastering both with passion and purpose.

From Geospatial to Safaricom

Her journey to Safaricom didn’t follow the typical tech path. Edith studied Geospatial Engineering at JKUAT but soon realized that long hours in the field weren’t for her. “I’m too much of a girl for the sun and dust,” she laughs.

While still at university, she began teaching herself to code and later joined ALX Africa and the Power Learn Project to sharpen her software development skills. After completing her training, she stumbled upon a post about Safaricom’s Graduate Management Trainee program. She applied, prayed and got in.

She joined in October 2022, rotated through five teams under FinTech, and officially became a systems engineer in February 2025.

Life as an M-PESA Engineer

“No two days are the same,” Edith says. Some days she’s in the data center inspecting hardware; others, she’s deploying new features or solving infrastructure puzzles.

Her role spans everything from managing systems capacity to configuring core services and supporting other teams. It’s where technical detail meets strategic thinking a blend of hands-on coding and big-picture planning.

Clearing Up the Confusion

So what exactly does an M-PESA Engineer do?

“People always ask what that means,” she says. “It’s not just backend or frontend work—it’s everything. From coding and database administration to actual physical infrastructure.”

DJ Cheche by Night, M-PESA Engineer by Day: Edith Chepngetich

Enter DJ Cheche

When she’s not in the server room, Edith is behind the decks as DJ Cheche a name inspired by her two surnames, Chepngetich and Cheruiyot.

“I’ve always loved music,” she says. “I literally code better with music in the background it gets me in the zone.”

Surrounded by DJ friends, she was often the curious onlooker, asking questions until they started mentoring her.

Her first impromptu set happened at a birthday party, where a spontaneous challenge led to her stepping up to the decks. The club owner was impressed and just like that, she had her first gig.

First Gig and Signature Sound

Her first official booking was at Mawimbi Seafood Restaurant, a cozy space with a chill crowd perfect for her mellow, rhythmic style. She started with soulful Afro House and Afro Tech, music that feels deep yet conversational.

As more gigs rolled in, she evolved. “I used to be a House purist,” she says. “But I’ve learned to adapt. Now I play open format depending on the vibe.”

And while she owns the DJ booth, she’s not a fan of setting it up. “I always ask for a sound engineer,” she says with a grin. “I’m short I’m not lifting speakers!”

Mixing It Up at Safaricom

Word of her musical talent spread within Safaricom. Soon she was spinning at internal events, including Hackfest. “That gig was a highlight,” she says.

“The events team was so supportive, and seeing my colleagues vibe to my music outside of work it was special. I even got a certificate!”

Today, she prefers private gigs over commercial ones and has even landed a wedding gig through Safaricom referrals.

Blending Beats and Bugs

Her two passions aren’t as different as they seem.

“Music helps me focus at work, and DJing helps me unwind after. They feed into each other it’s balance,” she says. “I couldn’t do one full-time without the other.”

The Many Sides of Edith

Away from work and music, Edith describes herself as “an enigma.” She’s a cat mom to Edd and Ida, a balcony gardener (with thriving kale and rosemary), a committed environmentalist, and an activist.

She also mentors young women in tech, especially through her leadership role with AnitaB.org and the US–Kenya Alumni Association. After becoming a Mandela Washington Fellow in 2023, she’s been on a mission to give back. “I even won a national mentorship award this year,” she adds.

Education, Detours, and Doing Things Her Way

Her path hasn’t been without bumps. Though she initially wanted to study law, her father nudged her into engineering.

But by her third year, she knew it wasn’t her calling. She quietly took a break in 2018 only for her parents to find out when the university called. “We struck a deal. I’d finish the course and then do what I wanted,” she recalls.

That’s when she fully pivoted to tech. She joined online communities like Google Developer Student Clubs and earned a scholarship with the Google Africa Developer program, specializing in Android development.

DJ Cheche by Night, M-PESA Engineer by Day: Edith Chepngetich

Family Reactions and Dating Realities

So what do her parents think about the DJ career?

“They don’t ask questions anymore,” she laughs. “They found out in 2023 through other people. I didn’t tell them.”

And her dating life?

“Heh, in this Nairobi? The last relationship nearly sent me to Jesus!” she says. “I’m off dating apps. Might just find a retired chief and be his fifth wife—just kidding!”

Quickfire Round with Edith

Theme song of your life?
“Unstoppable” by Sia.

Debugging or beat dropping?
Beat dropping, no contest.

Late-night coding fuel?
Tea—very Kalenjin of me.

Current playlist favorites?
Drake (yes, I said it like that!) and Black Coffee. They even have a song together!

Can’t-live-without gadget?
Headphones. Music is everything—and my escape in awkward moments.

Parting Words

Her advice for balancing a full-time job and creative hustle? “It’s never that serious. Do what brings you joy. When you love something, success follows.”

Professionally, she’s helping scale Safaricom’s M-PESA infrastructure to handle 10,000 transactions per second. Personally, she’s dreaming of launching a tech mentorship program for fresh graduates and fusing DJing with travel and retreats.

“Engineering and DJing might seem like opposite worlds,” she says. “But both are about rhythm, flow, and connection. And that’s what I live for.”

https://africabusinessnews.co.ke/bridgets-breakthrough-tackling-period-pain-with-tech/