Dr Senorine Wasike, the adventure seeker at the helm of a betting giant

What is the one thing that you can tell me about yourself that will help me to understand who you are? 

Authenticity is the one constant that really gives me a lot of leverage across the board. People don't like being told the truth, but they value it nevertheless. When they genuinely know you care and you want to help, it really helps. Authenticity has been my biggest currency.

How does that look? 

It looks like staying true to who you are, being consistent across, and also being easy to connect to, because you don't keep changing. I'm an Apple lover, so I feel like it's been consistent since I decided to be an Apple person. If you're consistently showing up the same way, in a way that people can resonate and connect to you, authentic, and people resonate more.

Tell me something interesting that has happened to you this week. 

I know this sounds strange, but after the rally [Safari Rally that ended March 15], I was tired, but when I was dropping my son off at school, he just told me, "You know, there's a holiday on Friday". I was like, this 12-year-old, when did you start knowing when public holidays are? We are the ones who are so tired and overworked that we need to keep a tab of all the public holidays [chuckles].

What’s it like being a mother? 

It's a full-time job. Really keeps me honest because those Gen Alphas are brighter than we think. It's commitment, it's always on. It's not a part-time job, but it's fun because I get to actually engage. They teach me a lot of things. My son and daughter are always telling me things I don’t know. And they ask me questions. The biggest thing about my children is leadership, actually. Because great leaders deal with questions, you have to think critically.

What part of your children reminds you of your own childhood?

I think just having fun and not worrying about life. And thinking that your parents are the richest, the most brilliant, and can give you anything you want, and believe in you in a way that is just innocent. I miss that innocence, never worrying about anything, just living life.

What kind of a child were you? 

I was a curious child, very adventurous. I spend most of it in the upcountry, with my aunties, grandma, and cousins. Every time school closes, my children remind me of that when they ask, ‘When are we going to our cousins’ house?’

What have you had to unlearn as a mother who worked for your mother? 

I don't have to have all the answers. Sometimes I just need to tell my children to be honest, mummy doesn't know. I feel like mum used to try to give us all the answers. And in moments where I'm tired, I just tell them, "Mummy needs to sleep, I'm tired.” I don't need to explain.

Do you have a ritual that you do with your children? 

Yeah, we do church every Sunday. And the one thing they'll not forget is lunch after church [chuckles]. I think it's the only day that I feel I can be fully present. Oh, I love the morning ritual, which is that we get to go to school together. I drop them every morning. Rain or shine, unless there's like an earthquake, we're always together.

Sunday lunch, are you cooking or going out? 

No, we don't cook haha! Okay, it depends. I love to cook a lot. But Sunday is for going out to try out the different meals in different places. I cook most likely on Friday or during the holiday, and I’m home. Sundays are for eating out.

What part of your personality comes out on the weekend? 

Sometimes I just sleep the whole weekend. I think by now, most of my colleagues know I love to dance, whether it's for fitness or fun. I even do TikTok challenges for those young ones.

You dance?

I love dancing. I was a routine dancer for many years. I danced for a group called Frontrunners. I think I still got the moves [chuckles].

What’s a routine dancer? 

Well, we would practice every day. And it would be, do your run, then come, do your afternoon practice. And then go out now for competitions. That was in my early 20s. Now I dance everywhere, in the shower, as fitness. Although I've not been doing so well because I don't have time.

What was it about dancing that attracted you? 

I think it's just in me. By the way, a long time ago, there was a programme called Kenya Rhythms. I was part of the whole opening scene when they're introducing the programme. I was there because I’d made it to the State House one day to dance for the late President Moi in Class 1. I have been dancing since forever, I am Miss Good Vibes [chuckles].

Indeed. What would I be surprised to learn about you? 

There’s a tough side. I think the one thing that I would say is my superpower is that I get things done. And in order to get things done, you need to be very clear and have people do what they have to do. People downplay my ability to actually be tough. And get things done.

You do look tough. 

Yeah, most people tell me that haha! Even my own husband told me, the first time he saw me, he was like, “This one looks too serious.” But when we get to know each other, I'm fun and do all the good things.

What's the best piece of advice you've received in this industry and life? 

Show up when you don't feel like it, show up when you feel like it, just show up. Especially in moments when you don't feel like showing up. Just show up and be the best that you can be. Do you know I'm a part-time lecturer too?

What do you teach? 

Many things. Entrepreneurship, innovation, strategy, and marketing.

Is that the big exit plan after this? 

I think that I see myself in rooms where I'll just continue making a difference. But teaching is close to my heart because you can't teach what you don't understand. I have to understand concepts to be able to tell someone about them. And great leaders are great teachers.

I find that most teachers, like most preachers, get the bug from someone in the family. 

Haha! Yes, my mom is a teacher, retired, but she still went back because she feels like she needs to be doing something.

What has the teaching taught you about yourself? 

I have a PhD now. So the first time you have your degree, you are given the power to read. And everyone's excited. A master's degree teaches you that maybe I don't know as much as I do because you're specialising. Now, a PhD teaches you that you don't know anything. Because all you do is question, question, question. I like the fact that when you know a lot, you realise you actually don't know anything. That's the humility of teaching and learning.

You seem like a very ambitious person. What is it you are chasing or running away from?

I'll answer that twice. Ambition, yes. If you went to a village school and literally had to jog to school a couple of kilometres, and probably lunch was a luxury, and you had to go through a lot of what I experienced, you're very clear about what you want in life. At the rally, I told my colleagues that I cannot sleep in a tent. Because that was my childhood [chuckles].

I am running away from poverty, not just money-wise, but quality of life. Ambition is…I feel like if I ever flew to my mom's house and parked a helicopter in front of her house, then I'll have probably gotten closer to what I want. I suspect I might one day run for public office, who knows? And this is tied to making a difference, in whatever form.

When is it enough? 

Good question. Is it really enough? There's a book I read, ‘How Much Land Does a Man Need?’ [by Leo Tolstoy] The thing is that you have to be wise enough to know that you can't always keep chasing. You also need to enjoy as you chase. One of the key aspects that has taken me far is gratitude. And gratitude is stopping to say thank you for what I have.

With all these plates in the air, how do you keep your home intact? 

By the way, if home is not working, work will not work, unfortunately. I've found that having real conversations really works. When I was doing my PhD, I had a young child. My lastborn was a few months old. I started in October; the baby was born in February. I had a demanding job, with weekend activities, and this little one.

I think the thing is to constantly have honest and clear communication. We take it for granted, saying things, being accountable, before even accountability is requested. I am very clear. Home must work. I've had the longest support system. My househelp left last year after 11 years of being with us, because she was blessed with her own home.

I have systems in place for my home; when my children were small, I spent the first three to four months putting routines in place, expressing as much milk as I could and putting it away, and making sure that the person who's going to take care of my child, I trust them and help them be ready. Its systems.

I don't have to cook, but food will always be there. My husband never has to wash a shirt, but his shirts are always cleaned and ironed. And for the important stakeholders, you must be accountable, and you must make up for the lost time. Since I was at the rally, this weekend is set aside for my family.

Can what you have be taught, or is it that some people just have it and others don't?

I'll sum it up in one word: intentionality. Anything can be taught. You can learn, but it has to come from you. Like for me, I'm very intentional. I was raised by a single mum. I was very intentional about my children. They have to be raised by a father. Thank God it's working out well, but I told myself that that is the one thing that I want to work on. So when it comes to that area, I have to prioritise and understand what it is that he's saying or what I can do to help.

Being raised by a single mum, what kind of father did you want for your children? 

Haha! That's a good one. I just wanted a present dad, one that can be there and can actually raise the children the way that I probably couldn't. And I can assure you that God decided this is the gift that I'm currently enjoying. I can count the number of times I do homework with my children, but I can tell you how many times he does homework with the children. I needed intentionality in terms of being present—not provider or protector, it’s good, but I was looking for presence.

Did motherhood make you more ambitious? 

I look at those little people, they give me so much fire, ambition towards never letting them down. Like I want the best they can have. For you to be a great parent, it really helps you, even with your leadership style. My children have anchored me in a lot of things around proper and clear communication, and living what I say. Because if I say dinner is on the table, and I'm too tired, and I carry my dinner upstairs, they come and say, but you said dinner is on the table.

How do you reward yourself? 

Ah, that one is usually top of my priority list. I have a spa date this weekend. I walk. I have a lot of solo dates until my friends think it's weird. I’ll drop my children off for soccer in the morning, check into a cafeteria, I'll sit there and have my breakfast, and I could be reading, or just have some alone time. I discovered that when my car radio stopped working, and I had to drive in silence, and I realised I never speak to myself or look internally.

What's on your fun bucket list? 

I want to go back to America, where I graduated. I want to do road trips across different states. Stop over, have fun, and just do the things that I can never do. I also want to drive to Cape Town by road. I love driving. In fact, even tied to that, I wanted to rally. Because open roads really give me excitement and make me happy.

What do you miss now? 

Not much because every time I think I am, I just go and do it. If I miss someone, I call them, and we go have coffee. If you miss something, go for it. Don’t wait.

What matters more than you thought it would? 

Relationships. And I tie them to social capital. Many of the things I have come to enjoy and value the most are because of the relationships I have had in my life. Sometimes it just takes one relationship to take you to the next level.

What’s something difficult you go through that not many people get to see? 

The elusive balance that we have accepted as work-life integration. I do respond to everybody’s messages. Eventually. But most people are impatient, and sometimes one can be so busy that no one really understands. What is non-negotiable is if my son or nanny calls me.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“I Was Here” by Beyoncé. My personal ambition is to make a difference, and that song is about people remembering you were here and made a difference. I also like “Hall of Fame” by The Script.

Describe your deal weekend. 

Haha! The best weekend is me just staying in my house and doing anything that does not entail structure and form.

What do you consider the biggest loss of your life? 

Your questions are getting harder [chuckles]. This may sound funny, but I don’t take things as losses. 2025 was my toughest year, career and personal life got shaken up a lot. The stormier the waters, the more I rise. I don’t stay there and feel pity for myself. I mean, look, I support Manchester United haha!

What have you come to terms with? 

That there are things I cannot change, and if I can’t live with them, I just do not bother.

Since this is a betting company, if I were to bet on you for one thing, what would it be? 

I get things done.

Who do you know that I should know? 

Tough. I have a friend who also happens to be my aunt. A lot of what I am I learned from her, especially in my formative years. Aunt B, her name is Beatrice, my mum’s sister.

How are you like her? 

We look alike. People say I smile like her. I wanted to be a lawyer because of her, and also my personal relationship with God. She was the person I spoke to when I was young. She is a former CS, too.

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