One thing is clear: that Safaricom will soon be tasked to appoint a new CEO, or extend the tenure of Bob Collymore. This development has however been marked by a series of rumours, some of which have a solid backing.
For instance, Collymore’s late stint at the company has not been the smoothest. He, at one time, took an extensive medical leave. It is also speculated that his illness is the primary motivation of an early retirement plan.
That aside, the carrier has shed some light on the entire matter. The telco’s Chairman Nicholas Ng’ang’a says that Safaricom has not made any decision about Collymore’s replacement or tenure extension.
“Our attention has been drawn to the story published on April 29th, 2019 by Reuters News Agency regarding the position of Chief Executive Officer at Safaricom PLC. At the onset, I would like to state that the Safaricom PLC Board has not made a decision on the matter. This will be subject of deliberation by the Board and once a decision is made it will be communicated at the appropriate time. For clarity, the Board has in place a robust recruitment process that adheres to global best practice in identifying and appointing our senior leadership team.
“Finally, I am happy to report that the Board is encouraged by the quick recovery of Bob Collymore who remains firmly in charge and is doing a great job of leading our company and delivering on our purpose of Transforming Lives,” says Mr. Ng’ang’a.
However, the statement does not address CS Mucheru’s remarks that a Kenyan should head the company after Collymore’s departure.
