Adventist Chief Justice of Kenya Supreme Court Speaks on Death of Telecom Pioneer

By Tysan, 8 July 2019 | The Honorable David Maraga, chief justice of the supreme court of Kenya, joined other national leaders in the east Africa country in mourning the death of Robert Collymore, the Chief Executive Officer of Safaricom. Maraga is an Adventist.

“In his death we have lost a towering symbol of excellence in corporate governance,” Maraga said via Twitter. “May God comfort his family, friends and colleagues.” President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a statement: “As a country, we’ve lost a distinguished corporate leader whose contribution to our national well-being will be missed.”

In a moment of national unity, former prime minister and an opposition leader Raila Odinga said Collymore “served our country with dedication and sustained us as a communication hub in Africa.”

Safaricom is one of the largest telecommunications corporations in Africa, providing mobile and cable phone service, messaging service, data transmission and Internet access. It also produces and sells mobile telephones, mobile broadband modems, routers, tablets and notebook computers. And it provides online financial services; bill payment, bulk payments and dividend payments.

The corporation is worth about 11 billion dollars (in USD) and is the most profitable company in eastern Africa. It is 35 percent owned by the government of Kenya as a public utility and the remaining 65 percent is publicly traded with share values that grew by more than 500 percent under Collymore’s leadership.

Adventists in Kenya use Safaricom as a means of communication and in making donations and giving tithes and offerings. Collymore was 61 and had battled with cancer for two years.

Tysan is a reporter for Adventist Today who lives in Tanzania. The photo is of Chief Justice David Maraga.