THE AFRICA BAZAAR MAGAZINE

JULY 1, 2019

Robert Collymore, Chief Executive Officer of Safaricom, Kenyan largest mobile network and one of Africa’s top mobile networks passed away on Monday at his home.

The caused of death was cancer, which he was undergoing treatment for since 2017 when he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The company announced his passing in a statement on Monday.

Lauded as one of African greatest business men, Mr. Collymore was appointed CEO of Safaricom in 2010, succeeding Michael Joseph.

Established in 1997 out of necessity to address issue of financial inclusion and to provide financial services to unbanked people living in Kenya Safaricom, which provides mobile banking through M-Pesa was one of the first telecommunication networks in Africa to take advantage of the ubiquitous usage of mobile phone on the continent to revolutionize banking and financial services.

Mr. Collymore is not only known as a business leader, he was also a philanthropist who used his leadership and platform to help improve the lives of many people in his country and across Africa. A lover of music, he played saxophone.

Condolences are pouring in from around the world from business and world leaders, and citizens whose lives Mr. Collymore touched.