Topyster Muga

Topyster Namasaka Muga (born 1982) is a Kenyan telecommunication and fintech specialist, who is the chief executive and founder of Prosper App. Before launching her own venture in July 2020, she was senior director of Financial Inclusion Africa, at Visa Inc., based in Nairobi.

Early life and education Muga was born in Mumias, an urban center nestled in the western part of Kenya. She was raised alongside five brothers by her mother, who was a fishmonger. Her father, a court prosecutor in Kakamega, was a polygamist who married four wives and sired 16 children. She was named Best Student.

In 2005, Muga was admitted into Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology to earn a bachelor's degree in Information Technology. She graduated in the top 1% of her class two years later with First Class Honours. while she concurrently pursued her first degree at Jomo Kenyatta University. Muga rose through the ranks securing a promotion every year. While in this role, she led the team that innovated Airtel Money Pesa Card, a Visa card that mirrored the Airtel Money account. Under her leadership, Airtel Money partnered up with United Bank of Kenya Limited to pioneer Akiba Mkononi, a mobile banking product that allowed its users to save on their phone. According to Apantech digital blog, She advocated for the socioeconomic financial inclusion of women in Kenya and several other African countries.

Other achievements Muga travels frequently and widely, giving lectures worldwide, including at the Financial Times summit in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2018, and at the World Economic Forum in South Africa in 2017.

She co-founded the Digniti Charitable Trust, and is a mentor at Zawadi Africa Education Fund. She is on the African Women in Fintech and Payments Advisory Board as the East African regional lead and Kenya's ambassador.

INSEAD Nelson Mandela Scholarship - 2011 Pink Potential Sub-Saharan Africa IT Woman of the Year- 2015 Gold Stevie Technology Woman of the Year- 2016 TechWomen Emerging Leader - 2017 Women in Fintech Powerlist - 2017 Top 40 Under 40 women in Kenya - 2018