https://citizentv.co.ke/...s-safaricom-ceo-261258/

Gov’t wants to see a Kenyan as Safaricom CEO

According to the popular ‘public opinion court’ represented by social media inter-webs, Safaricom Chief Customer Officer Sylvia Mulinge makes for the plausible appointee to the role.
CS Mucheru meanwhile refused to be dragged into the murk, passing the buck of responsibility back to the managers of the publicly listed firm.
On Tuesday, the Safaricom Board announced that ex-CEO Michael Joseph would head the telco albeit on an interim basis.

The government is insisting that a Kenyan should fill the now vacant Safaricom CEO post after the demise of Bob Collymore.

ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has maintained his position on the succession debate.

“I don’t think the government position has changed, we would still love to see a Kenyan. However like any other company, they (Safaricom) have a choice as to who they want to be their CEO,” Mucheru told Citizen Digital.

Mucheru’s remarks came at a time when there is high expectation that a Kenyan will take over at the helm of the giant telco operator.

According to the popular ‘public opinion court’ represented by social media inter-webs, Safaricom Chief Customer Officer Sylvia Mulinge makes for the plausible appointee to the role.




Gov’t wants to see a Kenyan as Safaricom CEO
By Kepha Muiruri For Citizen Digital
time updated Published on: July 2, 2019 13:27 (EAT)


Gov't wants to see a Kenyan as Safaricom CEO
ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru. PHOTO| COURTESY
In Summary
According to the popular ‘public opinion court’ represented by social media inter-webs, Safaricom Chief Customer Officer Sylvia Mulinge makes for the plausible appointee to the role.
CS Mucheru meanwhile refused to be dragged into the murk, passing the buck of responsibility back to the managers of the publicly listed firm.
On Tuesday, the Safaricom Board announced that ex-CEO Michael Joseph would head the telco albeit on an interim basis.

The government is insisting that a Kenyan should fill the now vacant Safaricom CEO post after the demise of Bob Collymore.

ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has maintained his position on the succession debate.

Also Read: Bob Collymore to leave Safaricom as row erupts over successor

“I don’t think the government position has changed, we would still love to see a Kenyan. However like any other company, they (Safaricom) have a choice as to who they want to be their CEO,” Mucheru told Citizen Digital.

Mucheru’s remarks came at a time when there is high expectation that a Kenyan will take over at the helm of the giant telco operator.

According to the popular ‘public opinion court’ represented by social media inter-webs, Safaricom Chief Customer Officer Sylvia Mulinge makes for the plausible appointee to the role.

Also Read:

Michael Joseph: This is why I was appointed interim Safaricom CEO
PHOTOS: Final journey for Bob Collymore as body leaves Lee Funeral Home
Ex-Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph appointed as interim boss
CS Mucheru meanwhile refused to be dragged into the murk, passing the buck of responsibility back to the managers of the publicly listed firm.

On Tuesday, the Safaricom Board announced that former Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph would head the telco albeit on an interim basis.

“It’s not as if the company is crippled. Having Michael is a bonus for us as he has been there before and it gives Safaricom time to pick the right person to run the business,” he added.

Sources from the expansive financial services sector however deem the interim appointment as shilly-shally.

Apparently the Board is well in the know of who the new appointee is amidst a contest pitting the government and Vodacom, Safaricom’s majority shareholder.

It is said that Joseph makes for a neutral appointee as the Board works to extinguish fires emanating from the prevailing shareholder clash.

Collymore’s death opened the door for fresh speculation on who will take the top seat at the company reigniting fires from the recently reported row earlier in the year.

In April, Reuters reported that Collymore planned to step down in August for health reasons but the government’s insistence that he be succeeded by a Kenyan had delayed announcement of a replacement.

Who is this Sylvia Mulinge? What are her accomplishments? Can someone post her curriculum Vitae hapa wazua we scrutinize it. The noise on social media suggests that she is just another overrated Kenyan(like Wanyama and Kahata) who is bound to disappoint big time and cause major heartache.

Also, why is the government meddling with affairs of a public listed company? If they like, they can as well demand that the CEO of Diageo East Africa, Bamburi, United Nations Nairobi etc to be a Kenyan. I am not against a Kenyan being CEO, what i am against is our overly corrupt and grossly inept government meddling with private enterprises.

The current kenyan government has become a copycat government. Worse is that it benchmarks with other failed shithole dwarf countries like Tanzania. If Tanzania insists CEOs of certain companies must be Tanzanian, or shareholding structure in Telcos must be 51% Tanzanian, our lazy minister cobbles up a copy-pasted(Tanzanian) policy and presents it to cabinet and is approved without questions. Weka CV ya Sylvia hapa and let wananchi give opinion kama anaweza ama hawezi?

ni hayo tu kwa sasa

Government is a 35% shareholder in Safaricom and therefore has a say in management of the company.

Safaricom is a strategic investment by GOK and Vodafone (now through Vodacom SA) such strategic agreements come with clauses for transfer of technology and skills to locals. Vodafone/ Safaricom is at fault if they haven't trained at least 5 Kenyans capable of leading the company in the last 20 years.

KQ, KPLC, NBK, HF, EAPCC and many, many more. If the new appointee has the "support" of GoK then where do the CEO's loyalties lie?

Why should GoK fight for 1 position at Safraicom, yet Safaricom employees Kenyans in its thousands directly and indirectly. Why does this 1 position matter to them so much.

FYI her full names: Sylvia Wairimu Mulinge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Mulinge[/quote]

Another thread on Sylvia: https://uhondo.news/why-...ichael-joseph-explains/

I think Sylvia is brilliant. She holds the second highest position at Safaricom after the CEO and if you look at what her role entails, it's very serious. However, GoK cannot be trusted!!

Was wondering how Slyvia's position is the 2nd in command at Safaricom, should be the finance guy. Though Bob elevated Ogutu as his right hand man at Safcom (something even MJ used to do). The mzee is a survivor from Telcom days.

Foreign national tops race to succeed Collymore
The race to succeed deceased Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore gathered pace Tuesday with the board said to have settled on a foreign national to take over the helm of Kenya’s most profitable company.
The Treasury owns 35 percent shares of the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed telco while British company Vodafone and its South African subsidiary Vodacom together control a 40 percent stake.

Vodafone is said to have a pre-emptive right to appoint the CEO of the Kenyan telecommunications company.

Sylvia role is more important than CFO/CTO my friend. There is a reason that CCO position was specially created.

Even the arrangement of senior management on their website does well to highlight that.