Perhaps the most tangible lesson of motherhood is that the human tongue is a beast, one that very few can master. It constantly strains to break out of its cage, and if it is not tamed, it turns wild and unleashes grief and angry vicissitudes.
Words are fungible, that is true, but words also linger. They can tear down a wall or become the foundation of one.
Claire Munene believes that death and life are in the power of the tongue. “A word can easily kill your children’s dreams,” she says. “Children remember.”
A mother of two, she should know. What’s it like? It’s fearless precision of highwire artistry, because for children, a firm hand is almost always followed by an arm around the shoulder. For just as you imprint on your children, they imprint on you.
Intentionality, she says, is the goal in this game of actions. She’s even co-authored a book on it, “Why Intentionality Matters,” that’s how intentional she is. Yet she wraps her words with a swig of latte, on this cold wintry July morning at Capital Club, where she invents several aphorisms, all the while choosing her words carefully—motherhood teaches you that—because words form sentences, but words also sentence.
I have never met an ‘Experience Officer’ before. What’s that like?
I am responsible for the strategic direction as far as customer affection, loyalty and retention are concerned and aligned to the organisational strategy and goals.
The next step is aligning cross-functional teams across the entire organisation, and people’s unit deliverables, while focusing on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The third is embedding a customer-obsessed culture within the organisation. And finally, it is driving a data-driven culture from a customer perspective. I work for Ajua, Africa’s first customer experience platform, and my job is to understand the elements at a high level and help the company achieve it through our service offering.
What’s something interesting that has happened to you this week?
I was invited by a retail beauty organisation to attend their graduation. What was unique was understanding how we equip and empower them for success. They are our only client in that kind of space.
What’s your most CEO-like behaviour?
Being intentional about the things I do. It has to align with my purpose and goals; otherwise, it doesn’t take priority. Saying ‘yes’ on purpose, because I have limited time.
When did that realisation hit you?
It gained clarity during the Covid-19 period. We were stuck in the house, and there was time to assess life as it was. I took stock, reviewed, and picked up some things, like I realised I hadn’t been very intentional about my learning, which cannot be limited to what comes within the organisation. So, I went back to school to do something I had put off for years.
When was the last time you did something non-strategic, just for vibes?
Haha! I think there is always room for a lack of structure. I am thinking about the times my 14-year-old daughter would call me out to go watch a dance with her friends, which wasn’t in my plan, but I’d still do it. Or my neighbour asking me to walk in the car park a few days ago, to hit our target of physical steps.
What’s your step count?
My target is 15,000. But I do 7k to 10k, which is about five kilometres. I am trying to get a waterproof Fitbit, because swimming for one hour is my thing.
What message do you think your mother would like to pass to you and her grandchildren?
Never to hold back on the things I would love to do in life. She says she regrets not travelling more. Whether it's on holiday or taking me time. She says, “Don’t tell yourself that you’ll do it later.”
Have you heeded her advice?
I try. I have done a few things I would like to do, except one big one, the Gorilla Trek in Bwindi, Uganda. It’s on my bucket list.
What’s your top travel tip?
Make sure you seal the sides. We went on a short family vacation to Lamu, and vacations for me are not about sitting in a hotel, sleeping by the pool, et al. It’s about taking walks, understanding the topography and people, and seeing what that place is about. Who knew Lamu has sand dunes? Snorkel too if you are not afraid of the water.
What’s your favourite travel memory?
We love to travel locally. You are giving me a memory overload [chuckles]. We went to Mauritius with my children and husband, and I remember I had never seen a pool of little fish at the shallow end of the water. I didn’t even know fish could be experienced this close, but it’s only when we take care of the oceans.
AJUA Chief Experience Officer Claire Munene during an interview on July 04, 2025.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
Of all the roles you play—mother, boss lady, wife—which one comes easiest to you? Tough one. I have enjoyed being a mother quite a bit by watching my 14-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son, who just joined campus, evolve. Walking and learning from them, guiding and adding to their life, as they add to mine.
How are you raising your children differently from how you were raised?
Being more open and encouraging them to talk about their life. Training myself to listen more and instruct less. I think it is much more important to listen, because in listening, you hear a lot more than in asking. We set aside time to ask each other how we are doing, the activities we engaged in, just to get more depth and understanding.
What three words would you say represent your approach to parenting?
Live, laugh, and love. Live your life to the fullest, and what we can do, let’s do it now. I love my children and husband really hard by giving them experiences, like game nights. Let’s also have a lot of laughs and jokes, joy doesn’t always come automatically, sometimes you have to be intentional about creating it.
Which is your go-to management skill in parenting?
Haha! I am authoritative and consultative. If you have done something wrong you must face punishment, but choose your pain from the pain options available [chuckles].
I am different from my husband because he is the direct opposite; he balances me. It’s very rare to choose a direction we have not aligned on; you are likely to suffer when it is just me around [chuckles]. I am tough love.
Do you ever have bouts of ‘mum guilt’?
Yes, once in a while. I remind myself it is for the good. I pray and ask God to guide me in how I speak to my children, because I believe death and life are in the power of the tongue, and I don’t want to kill their dreams. And it can just be a word. I don’t sentence them based on instances, I flip it around and say, ‘Hey, this is not you. So, what happened here?’
This may come off as a gendered question, but did motherhood serve as a stepping stone to your career or a stumbling block to take a step back?
It made me take a step back and slow down because I wanted to be present in parenting my children. I learned that if I do the things I need to do and learn and embrace things to make me smarter on delivery, I would still excel in my career.
I travelled to Nigeria for work, and we would have a video call with my family, because I must clock in. After all, the other option would have been to sacrifice motherhood for the career.
How important is having a supportive spouse in all this?
Oh, God. He has allowed me to do things that are important for my growth. I would say, ‘I need to be away for this long,’ which means he is my support at the home front. Being there alone to tackle the things we share. Unless I am travelling, I do breakfast for my family, which I love. When I travel, he does it. We do our meals in the morning and at night. For me, it has been super great.
Without making this a marriage conversation, were you deliberate in picking that kind of man, or were you lucky when you picked a number from the hat?
I made a choice. We have been socialised, and what we watch influences our decisions. I remember telling God—I want to be careful how I say this haha! — that you need to understand yourself first. I wrote a list of the kind of person I would partner well with. And one of those was that if this person cannot be a friend, then they can never be a spouse. We are good friends.
What did you have to let go of to have a successful marriage?
Two things: early in my marriage, I had expectations, you leave work, you come, we do this, etc. But the honeymoon ended, and he would hang out with his friends, and I would get upset, because I would run straight home while he was out there.
AJUA Chief Experience Officer Claire Munene poses for a photo during an interview on July 04, 2025.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
My mother, after listening to me protest, gave me the best advice ever: “Claire, you had friends before the marriage. Live your life, just because you got married, your friends do not cease to exist; you just have to redefine it, but friendship goes on. His life hasn’t stopped; he is just learning to incorporate them with a wife.”
This is what I learned, and what informs my perspective on marriage: marriage is not what I can get, it is what I can give, and that is giving the best version of me.
How do you take care of just you?
If Claire can get her one hour of swimming, bliss! I have a swimming trainer who checks my breathing, watches my finesse and technique. When I am in that cold water, I am talking to myself and God and reflecting.
I also love to read, and many times at lunch hour, I sit and read at the office, and get lost in a book. Or just sitting in silence and listening to worship in the morning. Prayer sometimes is also about staying silent in the presence of God.
What is that one book you haven’t finished but you keep recommending to people to read?
The Bible. You can read the same passage from different angles; the learning never ends.
What belief do you hold to be true that most people would disagree with?
Haha! That tough times don’t last. When you are going through a tough time, I tell myself that it shall pass, the season will shift, and many people think not taking a stand is not taking a stand. Doing nothing is a decision, and there is a consequence to doing nothing. I believe you must have a position, and you must be clear.
What’s the one thing that makes your weekends better?
My family. A day in Tala at the farm, our farm of love—we just love being there. We have kept kienyeji kuku for the last decade, and we also grow millet, maize, and we have goats, a relatively new project. We also keep some dogs, and we are blessed to be near Mt Kilimambogo so we can take long walks along the vast expanse.
A good friend of mine, Mercy Mukami Munyange. A young girl with grit. She works at MultiChoice and has quite a powerful life story.
What is the one question people hardly ask you but you wish they would?
How do I enjoy life and how did I fail? What are my weaknesses? I have failed many times, but I have had good friends and mentors who have taught me the art of KU: KuDust, Kuoga and Kujaribu tena. To do it again and to do it with pride. I am proud.
