Tom Mboya Joins Sanku As Director Of IS

2021 CIO of the Year, Tom Mboya Opiyo, has joined Sanku Kenya as the Director of Information Systems, effective March 2026. He announced his new position on LinkedIn, expressing his pride in joining Sanku’s mission to “Guarantee that every meal consumed by every mother and child contains vital nutrients, forever.”

He joins Sanku following a brief hiatus after serving as Technology Lead – East Africa at Unilever, where he played a key role in driving enterprise technology strategy across multiple markets.

Prior to his time at Unilever, Mboya had a stint at Amazon Web Services (AWS), a role that was cut short following a mass retrenchment by the global technology giant.

Mboya had resigned from his previous position to take up the AWS opportunity in the United States and was set to relocate with his family when he was informed that his role had been affected by layoffs. At the time, AWS announced it was letting go of 18,000 employees worldwide due to economic uncertainties.

The unexpected development marked a difficult moment in his career journey. Shortly after, however, he secured the role of Technology Lead – East Africa at Unilever, where he went on to continue his leadership in enterprise technology.

His appointment at Sanku Kenya marks the latest chapter in a career that has seen both significant achievements and unexpected challenges.

Sanku works to scale technology and business solutions that put critical nutrients into the food that hundreds of millions of malnourished people consume most frequently. By doing so, the organisation aims to guarantee that every meal, for every mother and child, contains lifesaving nutrients, forever.

Mboya, who was crowned CIO of the Year 2021, holds an MBA in Finance from United States International University-Africa and a BSc in Statistics and Computer Science from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

His story is a testament to resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. Despite experiencing a major setback in his career following the unexpected layoff at AWS, he remained steadfast and continued to rebuild his professional journey. His experience also reflects the volatility of the global technology job market, which has affected thousands of IT professionals worldwide.

With his latest move to Sanku Kenya, Mboya adds another milestone to a career defined by adaptability, leadership, and determination.