Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore dies in Nairobi

Nairobi. Safaricom chief executive officer Bob Collymore has died at his home early Monday morning.

The Guyanese-born British citizen took a medical leave in October 2017 to fight cancer.

"He has been undergoing treatment for his 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," Safaricom chairman Nicholas Ng'ang'a said in a statement.   

Mr Collymore has been the head of East and Central Africa's biggest telco services provider, which recently declared a record Sh63.4 billion profit, since he took over from Michael Joseph in November 2010.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was among the first leaders to mourn Collymore's death, noting that the country has lost a distinguished corporate leader.

“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,” said President Kenyatta in a tweet on Monday.

In December 2018, Mr Kenyatta appointed Collymore a member of the Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Board for a three-year term.

In May this year, Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki appointed Collymore to the National Cancer Institute board.

Mr Collymore leaves behind a wife and four children.

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