Why Michael Joseph was the Best Option For Safaricom At the Moment

Image result for michael joseph and bob collymore at safaricom
Photo: Courtesy

Bob Collymore was a brilliant individual who led a team of technical staffs in Safaricom plc to make it a multinational million dollar telecommunication in this corporate world after succeeding Michael Joseph unfruitful tenure. Hours after the announcement of Bob Collymore’s death, the former Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer.

Michael Joseph was the CEO of Safaricom Limited from July 2000 when the company was re-launched as a joint-venture between Vodafone UK and Telkom Kenya until his retirement in November 2010. Joseph is a board member of the company and the current Chairman of the Board of Kenya Airways.

Image result for michael joseph and bob collymore at safaricom
Photo: Courtesy

The decision to have him back would be as a result of having a good contribution to Safaricom during his tenure. Just like Bob Collymore, Michael Joseph also had sound corporate governance and great customer service were his tenets. Both Bob and Michael seem to share much in common being the CEO’s and it was only fair to have someone who is equally enable to hold on for the vacant position.


Joseph,67, joined the Safaricom board on September 8, 2008 and was employed by Vodafone Group Services Limited as the Director of Mobile Money. He was the Vodafone’s Strategic Advisor appointed to the Boards of Vodacom Group South Africa, Vodacom Tanzania, Vodacom Mozambique and Safaricom Limited in Kenya.


He was the CEO of Safaricom Limited from July 2000 when the company was re-launched as a joint-venture between Vodafone UK and Telkom Kenya until his retirement in November 2010.

During his tenure, he steered the company from a subscriber base of less than 20,000 to over 16.71 million subscribers. Joseph, a U.S. citizen, has a B. Sc. (cum laude) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cape Town and is a member of the I.E.E.E. and I.E.E. (U.K.).


What most people don’t know about Michael is that he created and expanded Safaricom from a company with five employees in a rented apartment in Nairobi to the most successful and profitable company in East Africa with over 4,500 employees; and led the creation of our M-Pesa, the world’s most successful mobile transfer service.

Photo: Courtesy

Michael has proven to challenge himself everytime he is granted an opportunity, in a previous nterview with the dailies, when asked about taking the Chairman of Kenya Airways, this is what he had to say;

It’s a new challenge. But also I owe Kenya – it’s a country that is my home, and I think it’s your duty when your president asks you to do something, it’s not for you to question it.

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