Before his untimely death on Monday, Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore addressed plans for his succession, which had been planned for this August before extension of his contract in May this year.
According to him, nationality of an individual was not necessary prerequisite in selection of his successor, adding that the company should strictly look at the skills and abilities of applicants.
“You have to get the right person for the job. It might be a Kenyan, it might not be a Kenyan,” he said.
His statement came after it emerged that Kenyan government was keen to have a native as his successor. He was born in Britain though he has roots in Guyana.
And Mr Collymore, who took over from Michael Joseph in 2010, also said that his exit from Safaricom will not have any ripple effect on the success.
“I have every confidence that whether I’m here or not, that this company will run ... This is an institution. It is not a company which is just ran by a single person,” he said.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has been on the floor pushing to have a Kenyan CEO. Collymore was to retire next year. He died following a long battle with cancer on Monday.
“I would be very surprised if they can’t find a Kenyan. It will be hard for them to justify, what is so special about telecoms?” Mucheru told Reuters.