Africa has lost one of its finest hands and administrator.
This is as Kenyan mobile network operator Safaricom lost its CEO, Bob Collymore, to a long-standing illness. The 61-year-old succumbed to a two-year battle with cancer on Monday morning at his home in Nairobi.
Collymore led East Africa’s most profitable company, which announced a 63.4 billion shilling ($617m) annual net profit in May. He spearheaded Safaricom from 2010 onward, and helped grow its subscriber base from 17 million to more than 30 million, according to data from the company’s recent financial statements.
But Collymore may be best remembered for marshalling Safaricom through its development of mobile applications that helped millions of low-income people in Kenya and across the globe gain access to banking services for the very first time.
The late Collymore was born in Guyana in South America, Collymore moved to the United Kingdom as a child and eventually became a businessman in Europe.
He had a stint at Vodafone before being appointed to head Safaricom.
After moving to Africa, he married a Kenyan woman and settled in Nairobi.
In 2017, Collymore developed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and travelled to the UK for treatment.
He however gave in to the ailment after a long battle.
Despite his ailment , he continues to spearhead his company , he also accepted the Kenyan’s government request that he head the National Cancer institute.
He was told before his death that he would not see past the month of July .
The company’s board chairman, Nicholas Ng’ang’a extolled the values of the late Collymore .
He will be sorely missed by all and sundry
