Hey there! I'm Shem Kiptoo — a software engineer who loves building things that actually work and last. Welcome to my corner of the internet.
Who I Am
I'm the kind of engineer who gets genuinely excited about both backend systems and electronic circuits. Whether I'm designing scalable microservices, debugging a production issue at 2 AM, or tinkering with Arduino boards on my workbench, I'm driven by one simple question: How does this actually work?
My sweet spot is at the intersection of software, infrastructure, and automation. I build cloud-native applications, optimize distributed systems, and occasionally hack together Python scripts that save hours of manual work. I believe in clean architecture, thoughtful problem-solving, and systems that prioritize maintainability over quick fixes.
Beyond the code, I'm a builder at heart. I'm running a homelab where I self-host open-source platforms and documenting my experiments here. I'm also exploring how to provide affordable cloud-like services to small businesses in Kenya using my own compute resources.
What I Do
I specialize in backend systems, cloud-native development, and making legacy systems play nice with modern infrastructure. My work involves:
- Building and maintaining microservices that support large-scale, business-critical systems
- Designing APIs and integration layers that connect complex systems
- Setting up observability pipelines (logs, metrics, traces) that actually help you debug issues
- Automating the boring stuff so teams can focus on what matters
- Migrating and modernizing legacy systems to cloud-native architectures
- Mentoring developers on best practices, CI/CD, and modern tooling
I'm comfortable across the stack — from Kubernetes clusters to Spring Boot services to bash scripts that keep things running smoothly.
My Journey
Safaricom PLC — Integrations Engineer
March 2022 – Present | Nairobi, Kenya
This is where I've been doing some of my most impactful work. At Safaricom, I'm responsible for integrating systems that power our core offerings at scale.
Some highlights:
- Integrated new products with credit and M-Pesa payment systems, handling high-volume transactions daily
- Led the migration from Splunk to open-source observability tools (Elastic Stack), cutting costs while increasing visibility
- Designed service monitoring and log pipelines that reduced Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) and Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR) for critical systems
- Conducted root cause analyses for production issues, which helped stabilize services and reduce incident frequency
- Automated routine operations like log cleanup, stream trimming, configuration updates, and dealer commission runs — basically eliminating a lot of manual toil
- Trained new engineers on CI/CD pipelines, observability practices, and change management
- Conducted code reviews and knowledge sharing sessions to improve code quality and spread best practices across the team
- Built new APIs that accelerated how the VAS team handles customer requests
Tech: Elastic Stack (ELK), Python, Bash, OpenShift, Kubernetes, Spring Boot, Jenkins
Safaricom PLC — Service and Integration Developer
July 2021 – February 2022
This was my first role at Safaricom, where I focused on backend development and team processes.
- Implemented Agile workflows to improve collaboration and delivery speed
- Developed and maintained backend microservices powering the M-Pesa Bill Manager
- Integrated backend services with Tibco Business Works for interoperability with core systems
- Supported teams with Docker and Kubernetes deployments
- Led internal training on the Jmix platform to foster modern development practices
Tech: Java, Spring Boot, Tibco BW, Docker, Kubernetes, Jmix, REST APIs
Tracom Services Limited — Software Developer
June 2020 – June 2021 | Nairobi, Kenya
At Tracom, I worked on payment systems across East Africa. This role taught me a lot about building secure, reliable financial software.
- Designed and implemented a payment gateway integrated with mobile payment systems in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda
- Developed Android applications using Flutter for multi-platform deployment
- Built a secure library for Android-based payment terminals using ISO 8583 message protocols
- Integrated Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) for revenue reporting compliance
- Ensured real-time financial data reporting for partner organizations
Tech: Spring Boot, Android (Java/Flutter), ISO8583, REST APIs, PostgreSQL
IE Solutions — Software Developer
August 2019 – May 2020 | Nairobi, Kenya
This was my first full-time software engineering role after university. I worked on enterprise applications and mobile integrations.
- Developed enterprise-grade applications using the CUBA platform
- Built RESTful APIs for mobile integration and backend communication
- Developed Android apps with Java and Flutter, focusing on performance and usability
Tech: CUBA Platform, Java, Flutter, REST APIs, MySQL
Kabarak University Research Department — Software Developer Intern
February 2019 – July 2019 | Nakuru, Kenya
During my final year at university, I interned with the research department and worked on internal systems.
- Designed a university scheduling system that optimized class and lab allocations
- Improved the security of the university's electronic voting system
Verve.K.O — Software Developer Intern
January 2018 – April 2018 | Nairobi, Kenya
My first real taste of professional software development. I learned a ton about design patterns and full-stack development.
- Applied software design patterns in building scalable applications
- Built a project management system using the CodeIgniter PHP framework
- Enhanced skills in team-based software delivery
Tech: PHP (CodeIgniter), MySQL, JavaScript
Education
Kabarak University
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science | Second Class Honors – Upper Division
2016 – 2019
University was where I really fell in love with tech. Beyond classes, I was heavily involved in the developer community:
- Developer Student Club (DSC) Lead: Organized workshops and guided peers in modern software development
- Co-Organizer, Kabarak iHub: Fostered innovation through hackathons and tech events
- IoT Instructor: Taught embedded systems using Arduino and NodeMCU
- Electronic Voting System Developer: Built a cost-effective digital voting system for university elections
- Chess Club Member: Sharpened my analytical and strategic thinking
- CS for High School Contributor: Trained teachers on using Arduino as a teaching tool
Chumo Secondary School
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (A-)
2012 – 2013
- Student Council President
- Science Club Chairperson
Skills & Tech Stack
Backend Development
Java, Spring Boot, Apache Camel, Python, REST & SOAP APIs, Microservices Architecture, JPA/Hibernate, Maven, Gradle, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Redis
Frontend Development
(foundational knowledge — I'm primarily focused on backend and platform engineering)
React, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, TypeScript, Flutter, Android (Java), Responsive UI Design
Cloud & Infrastructure
Kubernetes, OpenShift, Docker, Jenkins, Proxmox VE, Nginx, Traefik, Grafana, Prometheus, Linux Server Administration, Self-Hosting & Homelab Automation
Integration & Messaging
TIBCO BusinessWorks (BW5/BW6), Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ, ActiveMQ, MQTT, Webhooks, API Gateways, Service Meshes
Observability & DevOps
Elastic Stack (ELK), Prometheus, Grafana, CI/CD Pipelines, System Monitoring, Logging, Metrics
Automation & Scripting
Python, Bash, Ansible, Cron, Custom Tooling for Developer Productivity
Development Practices
Agile Methodologies (Scrum/Kanban), Version Control (Git/GitHub/GitLab), Test-Driven Development (TDD), API Design & Documentation (OpenAPI/Swagger)
What I'm Good At
- Backend architecture and integration design
- Microservices development and orchestration
- Observability and performance tuning
- API design (REST/SOAP) and distributed systems
- Automation scripting and CI/CD pipelines
- Systems migration (Legacy → Cloud-native)
- Embedded systems and IoT prototyping
Beyond the Code
When I'm not writing software, I'm usually:
- Tinkering with electronics: I'm passionate about digital systems and mechatronics, always exploring how hardware interacts with software.
- Building OddWired: My personal blog where I document experiments in automation, electronics, and home projects. It’s practical and experimental — where I document hands-on projects and ideas I’m exploring.
- Running a homelab: Self-hosting open-source platforms and exploring how to provide affordable cloud-like services to small businesses in Kenya.
- Cycling: It clears my head and keeps me balanced.
- Home automation: Always tweaking something to make daily life a bit more efficient (or just because it's fun).
What's Next
I'm fascinated by AI-assisted development, automation platforms, and the intersection of IoT and cloud computing. These are areas where I see the most potential for meaningful innovation, especially in emerging markets like Kenya.
I'm drawn to opportunities where engineering excellence, mentorship, and innovation come together to create systems that are reliable, efficient, and built to last.
Let's Connect
Interested in working together or just want to chat about tech? I'd love to hear from you.
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shem-kiptoo-6a7269199/