Bob Collymore cremated in private function
The body of former Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore was cremated at a private event in Nairobi on Tuesday.
A hearse carrying the remains of Collymore, who died on Monday, left Lee Funeral Home at 10.15am alongside a convoy of vehicles ferrying invited guests. They were led by police over a 12-kilometre stretch snaking round the Central Business District.
Twenty minutes later, the hearse arrived at the Hindu Shamsan Bhumi near Gikomba for the function that lasted slightly over an hour. Journalists and the public were not allowed past the gate.
Wambui Kamiru Collymore (grey jacket), wife of the late Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore, is consoled by family and friends at the Lee Funeral Home on July 2, 2019. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
He was interred at the crematorium in Kariokor, where only family and close friends were allowed to attend.
Lee Funeral Home staff load the body of the late Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore onto a hearse on July 2, 2019 for the interment at Kariokor crematorium. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
He joins a growing list of prominent persons in Kenya who have opted for cremation over traditional burial.
A police officer at the crematorium said it was a brief function where only family members witnessed the final rites. After the interment, he said, there were brief speeches outside the premises before the attendants dispersed. A memorial service will be held at All Saint’s Cathedral tomorrow.
Just hours before the cremation, Safaricom appointed its founding CEO Michael Joseph to be the interim chief executive.
Mr Joseph, who held the position for 10 years until November 2010, is part of the team managing the affairs of the company whose full-year profit up to March 2019 was Sh63.4 billion.
“At a special board meeting of directors (on Monday), the board resolved to appoint Michael Joseph, a board member of the company, as the interim chief executive officer of the company with immediate effect,” said a statement from the company secretary Kathryne Maundu.
“Mr Joseph will hold this position until the board communicates in due course on a permanent appointment,” it added.
Mr Joseph, the current chairman of the Kenya Airways board, is Safaricom’s founding CEO and helped the firm stave off competition in the early 2000s to become the largest telecommunication firm in the country.
Wambui Kamiru (grey jacket), wife of the late Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore, is overcome with emotion as she leaves the Lee Funeral Home on July 2, 2019 for the interment at Kariokor crematorium. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
News of Collymore’s death sent Kenyans on an information searching spree. Data released by Google early yesterday indicated that more than 500,000 Kenyans searched for “Bob Collymore” via the search engine on Monday as the news of his death emerged.
Google further indicated that the second largest search by Kenyans that day was the keywords “myeloid leukaemia”, the type of blood cancer that killed him.
The third most searched item was “Guyana”, Mr Collymore’s country of origin.
On Tuesday, condolence messages continued trickling in following Collymore’s death.
Mr Paul Tergat, the founder of the Sports Personality of the Year Award, eulogised Collymore as an “iconic leader, mentor and patriot by all means”.
“His footprints and legacy projects are plenty and continue to model the lives of our young people in an amazing way,” stated Mr Tergat, who is also the president of the National Olympics Committee of Kenya.
Rugby star Collins Injera eulogised Collymore as “a down-to-earth person who touched many lives positively and a great leader with a vision”.
According to Safaricom chairman Nicholas Ng'ang'a, a memorial service is planned for later this week.
Collymore is survived by wife Wambui Kamiru and four children.
