Patience takes pride in being a STEM girl. She drinks and eats STEM. So much, so that when it came to marriage, she chose a life-long partner in STEM.
She jokes that her husband, Mutuku Mulwa, a physicist, is perhaps the only person smarter than her.
Her love for mathematics, and sciences and a knack for problem-solving from an early age led her to pursue a pure maths course which she describes as “math-on-steroids.”
She took an actuarial degree and is among the few qualified actuaries in Kenya. As the Chief Actuary at Liberty Life Kenya, Patience, oversees the calculation of reserves, pricing insurance products, managing risk, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and developing strategic financial policies. It is a role that involves a lot of number-crunching.
"As long as you stick on the life road, eventually things will work out."
“I am one of the first female actuaries to qualify as a Fellow,” she says.
She is a council member in The Actuarial Society of Kenya (TASK) and an advisor in the Actuarial Academy of East Africa (AAEA). As the mentorship lead, the Academy mentors over 100 aspiring actuaries annually.
Order is the fuel that keeps the mother of two going. She describes herself as “structured, passionate and disciplined.
“I follow through with tasks meticulously. This has created order and Zen in my life and has removed distractions that bring chaos or noise,” she says. Patience became an actuarial executive at a young age, in her late 20s. There is a small tinge of regret.
With the benefit of hindsight, Patience reckons that her life would have been richer with a gradual climb, leaving her with the time to cherish the trappings of youth.
“Yes, there are a few instances where I would approach things differently. I would not have been in a hurry to grow up. I would have slowed down and enjoyed life moments at various ages. As long as you stick on the life road, eventually things will work out and there are so many years ahead to do everything at its time,” she says.
– By Dominic Omondi
