EAST African telecommunications giant Safaricom Plc confirmed the news that its chief executive Robert ‘Bob’ Collymore has died after a nearly two-year long battle with cancer. He was 61.
Safaricom is 35% owned by South Africa’s Vodacom and 35% by the Kenyan government, controlling just more than 60% of Kenya’s mobile market with 30 million subscribers.
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing away of Robert (Bob) William Collymore, CEO of Safaricom Plc, which occurred at his home in the morning of 1 July 2019,” Safaricicom chairman Nicholas Nganga said in a statement.
“In October 2017, Bob proceeded to the UK to receive treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and returned in July 2018 to resume duties. He has been undergoing treatment for this condition since then in different hospitals, and most recently at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi.
“In recent weeks, his condition worsened, and he succumbed to the cancer at his home in the early hours of Monday, 1 July 2019.”
Acute myeloid leukemia is a cancer of the blood. Collymore is credited for turning Safaricom into East Africa’s most profitable company with an US$11 billion valuation.
Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta mourned Collymore’s passing in a statement on Twitter.
“It is with deep sadness that I have this morning received news of the death of Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore after years of battling cancer. As a country, we’ve lost a distinguished corporate leader whose contribution to our national well-being will be missed,” Kenyatta said.
Collymore is survived by his wife and four children.
Safaricom said on Tuesday it had appointed board member Michael Joseph as interim chief executive officer.
“The board is confident that during this transition, Mr Joseph will provide the necessary guidance and leadership to the company and its employees,” Safaricom said in a statement.
Joseph served as Safaricom’s CEO between July 2000 and November 2010.
Safaricom said Joseph, an electrical engineer, had transformed the telecom from a subscriber base of less than 20 000 to over 16,71 million during his previous tenure as CEO.
In his last full year as CEO, Safaricom posted a 37% rise in pre-tax profit.
Joseph also presided over the company during its initial public offering in 2008, and pioneered Kenya’s successful M-Pesa mobile money transfer system.
Joseph told Reuters he would continue in his role as chairman of Kenya Airways.
He also serves as Vodafone’s director of Mobile Money, and a strategic adviser on the boards of Vodacom South Africa, Vodacom Tanzania and Vodacom Mozambique, information on Safaricom’s website showed.
– Nampa-ANA-Reuters
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