This archive report was first published on 4 July 2019.
On July 4, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta delivered a heartfelt eulogy at the memorial service of Bob Collymore, the former CEO of Safaricom, held at All Saints Cathedral.
During the service, Uhuru Kenyatta recalled how Collymore had informed him about his deteriorating health while the President was on a trip to Canada.
According to Uhuru, Collymore had been calling him at 'strange' hours due to the time difference, prompting the President to finally pick up the call.
Uhuru Kenyatta quoted Collymore as saying, 'There is something urgent I wanted to tell you, but I guess it can wait. But I just wanted to tell you, I made you a promise that I’d hang on for another year or so in the company (Safaricom), but I think I’m going to break that promise.'
Uhuru Kenyatta visited Collymore at his house upon his return and described him as calm but resigned to his fate, saying, 'It’s not quite that… I don’t think I have more than a couple of weeks to go.'
The President praised Collymore's selflessness and contributions to society, saying, 'Bob was a man born in Guyana but finally set foot and settled in Kenya 10 years ago. He has made a greater contribution than many who were born, bred and lived in Kenya all their lives.'
