If you want to know how many hours are in a minute, look at what Jacqueline Waihenya does with it. To list all her attributes would be to undersell her, but let’s try. She is a chartered arbitrator, certified advanced construction adjudicator, governance expert, International Mediation Institute certified mediator…and so on. Let’s just call her multi-disciplinary or, as she prefers, multipotentialite.
‘In 2012,’ she says, ‘I made a commitment to myself to learn at least one new thing every year.’
However, to cut straight to her core, she will tell you that parenting is her lifelong lesson. How to let go of control. How to be a go-getter. How to be yourself. That’s the part-mum, part-expert advice she offers her daughters. And she hopes, when the world tells them to ‘play nice’, they will critically analyse the situation and not just kiss the ring or bend the knee. She knows this because she’s learned it, and she passes it on, because you only keep what you give away.
If someone were to observe one day in your job, what would surprise them the most? I do not have a set routine. I deal with whatever is on the table on any given day. Sometimes I serve as the Chairperson of the Institute of Certified Secretaries; other times I am the former chairperson at CHArb. Above all-and at all times-I am a mother to my two daughters, aged 22 and 19. I really love engaging with the younger generation because my daughters have very similar expectations and needs.
So I think the one thing that would surprise people the most is that I am a mum [chuckles]. I like to think that I am a present mother to my daughters. We spend a lot of time together, and sometimes they ask me whether I am a stay-at-home mum because I try to work from home a lot when they are around.
What do your daughters think you take too seriously? They think I am too serious about work, especially academia and scholarship. I really enjoy challenging myself academically. I am currently pursuing a PhD, so I have ample opportunity for intellectual rigour, and they get to see me doing that.
You are pursuing a PhD alongside all these other multi-potentialities that you have. How do you manage all of this? It is an integral part of who I am. Around 2012, I made a commitment to learn at least one new thing every year. Continuous growth is a deliberate process. There are days dedicated to academia, days focused on my legal practice, and other days spent engaging in service at the Institute of Certified Secretaries, supporting the community, and mentoring young professionals. I have also been in Rotary.
What is one key lesson from learning something new every year that has deeply impacted how you live your life? That small steps make a huge impact. When I first stumbled into arbitration, I took what we call the entry course and thought it would take forever to learn the nitty-gritty and become an expert. But by breaking complex subjects like arbitration and mediation down into bite-sized pieces, mastering them became manageable. It has been a privilege to start where no structure previously existed and build one day at a time.
I also learned that becoming an expert requires dedicating 10,000 hours to a subject. I resolved to invest those 10,000 hours, knowing that even if I shifted focus later, I would have acquired valuable expertise.
What achievement are you secretly proud of? I think I really like being a mum haha! I am proud of my professional work, but there is something I am doing that very few people know about. Every Wednesday, I attend a diploma class in Theological Education by Extension at PCEA St Andrews. It allows me to connect my faith with my intellectual pursuits, and earning that certificate is my goal for this year.
What part of being a mother has been the hardest to learn? Parenting is inherently challenging. My eldest daughter, who recently graduated as a lawyer, pointed out that I was projecting my own goals onto her. That was hard. I thought that I could guide her path, but she opted to pursue public policy rather than commercial law.
Was it easy to let go of control? No, it was very hard. When you experience an empty nest for the first time, you become deeply introspective and have to recalibrate your life almost from scratch. As children become adults and take charge of their own lives, letting go is far more challenging than managing earlier stages of parenting.
Having built your life through continuous learning, what do you hope your daughters build differently? It’s a deep question. My own mother encouraged me to be a go-getter, to be myself, and not to be afraid of reaching out. That is what I have taught my daughters. My life has been an incredibly rich experience, and I hope they derive similar fulfilment from their professional and personal journeys.
When was the last time you did something purely for Jacky? I cannot even remember haha! Serving others is what genuinely brings me joy. When my daughters were very young, before taking on professional institutional leadership, I was heavily involved in community service through Rotary.
I eventually rose to become the Rotary Kenya Country Chair during a season when we were restructuring the district from five countries-Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan (later Eritrea)-into separate districts. That service provided incredible leadership training through interacting with ordinary citizens across East Africa. Travelling across the region demonstrated that despite regional nuances, our fundamental aspirations, challenges, and ideals are remarkably similar. It also heightened my deep appreciation for Kenya.
What are your primary interests outside work? I am a workaholic. What truly drives me in work and leadership is engaging with, observing, and serving people.
No hobbies whatsoever? I have explored several over the years, though I do not maintain a strict routine. I sang with a choir in Mombasa for two years, and I tried playing golf, but it did not stick because I do not follow a fixed schedule. I think of myself as a non-conformist.
How do you ensure that work does not prevent you from being present in the moment-such as being buried in your phone? I maintain too many diverse interests to be consumed by a single distraction. My phone is a work tool that I keep accessible for urgent matters, but when I sit down with someone or engage with a group, I remain fully present.
What core rules do you live by? My primary rule is to learn something new every single day. My second is courage. Not arrogant bravado, but the quiet courage to speak out when silence would be easier.
Why is daily learning so vital to you? Learning drives personal growth. A mentor once told me, ‘Jacqueline, make sure that every day you can say that you are not only growing in age, but in wisdom.’ Time will always pass, but actively accumulate wisdom, knowledge, and understanding rather than merely ageing.
What habit has yielded the greatest benefit for you? Being a morning person. Starting my day early adds productive hours, enabling me to accomplish major tasks by 11 o’clock so I have the rest of the day for other pursuits. It got validation from Robin Sharma’s 5 am Club too.
Speaking of, is there a book you frequently recommend to people? Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin. It is my all-time favourite recommendation. It is an essential read for disruptors and leaders navigating change. It illustrates how Abraham Lincoln assembled competing rivals into a unified, effective cabinet.
A favourite takeaway of mine is Lincoln’s principle of “government of the people, for the people, by the people,” which applies directly to organisational governance by involving people and ensuring decisions create meaningful public impact. Another profound concept from Lincoln’s story is sharpening the axe beforehand by investing 80 per cent of your effort in preparation so that execution takes only 20 per cent of the time.
What should be common knowledge but isn’t? That there are sufficient resources for everyone if equal opportunities are provided. Many people operate from a scarcity mindset and an excessive urge to accumulate, driven by historical fears of hardship and having to go back there. The remedy lies in leveraging our rich human capital and empowering citizens through visionary leadership.
What do people get wrong about you? People often assume I am soft because of my soft-spoken and calm demeanour. However, my calmness is actually my superpower.
What advice should women be cautious of accepting? To “be nice”. In many contexts, telling a woman to be nice is an indirect way of asking her to step down or yield her position or taking advantage of them. It is really context-specific, but women should critically analyse the situation before deciding whether being “nice” serves their interests.
What have you become worse at with age? Having filters. They tend to dry up as you grow older. Beyond age 50, you gain the clarity and freedom to authentically focus on your core priorities without worrying about pleasing everyone.
What has been the greatest blessing of reaching half a century? Experiencing positive societal transformation firsthand and actively contributing to emerging fields. For instance, my PhD research focuses on artificial intelligence and sustainable finance, where technology meets social consciousness in the financial space. It is a privilege to contribute governance experience to emerging technology while seeing the next generation thrive in a dynamic Kenya. This is my small thing.
What fundamental lesson has life taught you? Life changes, and those who adapt thrive.
What is the soundtrack of your life currently? Uplifting gospel music, particularly songs reflecting gratitude for God’s blessings like Baruch Hashem Adonai, sung by Maranatha! Music.
Who do you know that I should know? Dr Deche Mercy. She is a powerhouse in academia but has served in public spaces and professional spaces. The first time we met, we had been invited to a career fair in Mombasa, and she was married and raising her family there. She spoke immediately after me, which made a huge impression on me. She noted that law is a unique profession where earning capacity ranges from zero shillings to infinity based on individual dedication and effort. Her wisdom made a lasting impression and deeply inspired my approach to legal practice. Have I said she’s also in Mombasa and Nairobi and the whole country? [chuckles]