Kenyan fintech and AI startup WayaWaya has appointed Raj Singh as an adviser to its board. Singh is a former Chase Bank Kenya executive. His appointment adds a veteran banking voice to WayaWaya as the company pushes deeper into conversational commerce and digital finance across Africa.
Singh brings more than two decades of experience in banking and financial services. He has worked across both Asia and Africa. Before moving into fintech advisory work, he served as Group Head of Operations at Chase Bank Kenya. That bank was one of the country’s mid-tier lenders before it collapsed and was later absorbed into SBM Bank. His career also includes time at FCMB Nigeria, where he served as Zonal Operations Head, and at ICICI Bank in India. Today, he serves as Executive Director at Finova360. He has also written about digital transformation in banking, including a book on how lenders can adapt to an app driven, AI first customer base.
For WayaWaya, the appointment signals something important. It shows an effort to strengthen governance and sharpen strategic direction. This comes as the company works to cement its position in the crowded conversational commerce space. Founded by Teddy Ogallo, WayaWaya built its name by helping banks and merchants run sales, payments, lending and customer service directly on WhatsApp. Users do not need to download a separate app. The company has worked with lenders such as HF Bank to launch WhatsApp based banking services. It says this approach has helped grow new account sign-ups significantly, since onboarding happens entirely within a messaging app.
However, the startup has also faced a complicated few years in the public eye. Reports have circulated since 2021 claiming that Kenyan customer experience company Ajua acquired WayaWaya. WayaWaya has consistently disputed this claim. Still, the mix up made its way into startup databases and company profiles. As a result, it created confusion about WayaWaya’s ownership and independence, confusion the company has had to actively correct.
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Because of this history, bringing on a banking heavyweight like Singh looks like more than a routine hire. It appears to be part of a broader push to reassure partners and investors. The message is clear: WayaWaya is an independent, professionally governed company with real financial services expertise behind its technology ambitions. Board advisers with deep operational banking backgrounds are increasingly common additions for African fintech startups. These startups want to scale relationships with traditional lenders, who remain cautious about handing customer facing financial functions to newer, less established players.
Singh’s addition also reflects a wider trend across the continent’s fintech sector. Startups building on messaging platforms and AI tools are recruiting experienced bankers to help them navigate regulatory relationships and compliance. This becomes especially important as they expand beyond a single market. Kenya’s fintech ecosystem, in particular, has produced a steady stream of WhatsApp and USSD based financial products. These products target users who may not have reliable access to smartphones or data heavy banking apps. Not surprisingly, the sector has drawn growing interest from both local and international investors.
So far, neither WayaWaya nor Singh has disclosed the scope of his advisory role. It also remains unclear whether the role will grow into a formal board seat over time. Either way, the appointment comes as African fintech companies continue leaning on experienced operators to guide their growth. Competition keeps intensifying among conversational commerce and embedded finance platforms across the region.
