By 
Kenyans and the world woke up to the news that Safaricom’s CEO, Bob Collymore had passed away at his home in Nairobi. The CEO, who had been battling Cancer for a little over two years, succumbed to the illness after his health deteriorated the past few weeks.
Bob, real name Robert William Collymore, was an openly jovial person who steered Kenya’s largest telco into a great success having overseen the launch of a number of products and changes at the telco over the years.
Part of Bob’s achievements at Safaricom includes; the launch of M-Shwari, Lipa Na M-PESA, migration of M-PESA servers from Germany to Kenya, Fuliza overdraft facility, Jazz Festival, Masoko, M-PESA 1Tap and the rebranding of Safaricom from “the better option” to “Twaweza – When we come together, great things happen”.
Start off your week with tech news recap and trending conversations in your inbox
Following the sad news of Bob’s death, both Kenyans and the world reacted in different ways. At the time of going to press, Bob Collymore, Rest In Peace and Safaricom, were all Trending topics in Kenya.
Safaricom’s official Twitter accounts, @SafaricomPLC, @Safaricom_Care and @SafaricomNews had all greyed out their profile pictures and header images in honour of the late Mr Collymore.
Some of the leaders who were prompt in sending out condolences messages to Bob’s family and colleagues include Raila Odinga, Ali Hassan Joho, Chief Justice Maraga, Deputy President William Ruto and the President:
My condolences go out to the friends and family of Mr Bob Collymore as well as the entire Safaricom fraternity.
Bob served our country with dedication and sustained us as a communication hub in Africa. May his soul rest in eternal peace.— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) July 1, 2019
I join Kenyans and the world in mourning the demise of Mr Bob Collymore, the Safaricom CEO. In his death we have lost a towering symbol of excellence in corporate governance. May God comfort his family, friends and colleagues. pic.twitter.com/oJ16i0DLIG
— David Maraga (@dkmaraga) July 1, 2019
I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing on of Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore. His leadership at the most successful company in Kenya will greatly be missed. My condolences go out his family and the entire Safaricom fraternity. May his soul rest in eternal peace. pic.twitter.com/v1v7F7l3k7
— Governor Hassan Joho (@HassanAliJoho) July 1, 2019
Bob Collymore was a distinguished corporate titan, whose shrewd leadership at the helm of Safaricom was commendable. He steered the company to new heights and contributed immensely to the evolution of Kenya's corporate scene.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) July 1, 2019
"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 wellbeing will be missed" ~ H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) July 1, 2019
Even as we mourn Bob Collymore, his dedication to his work and his relatability really stood out and there’s nothing that shows this more than the CEOs last tweet, which was to a Safaricom customer who was complaining about issues he was having with his Safaricom line:
Sorry about this, it shouldn't be your experience. Please give us a chance to fix it, you won't regret it. Can you DM your details to @Safaricom_Care
— Bob Collymore (@bobcollymore) June 29, 2019
Bob Collymore will surely be missed.
Comments