Transcend Saga: Safaricom, Vodafone and how Sylvia Mulinge is Ms 'fix-it' in corrupt deals

CAPTION: From left to right: Safaricom Plc Chairman Michael Joseph (1st CEO), Chief Customer Officer Sylvia Mulinge and the late 2nd CEO Bob Collymore The culture of impunity has permeated the Kenyan body corporate until the relevant anti-graft bodies are rendered inept. When it comes to corruption, Kenyans often think that the government is the dirtiest. Cnyakundi.com has been exposing graft in the private sector and it is clear for anyone to see, that there’s no difference between public and private sector corruption. The story of the Telco monopoly Safaricom is a sad one. Buoyed by government officials, the ring of cartel surrounding Safaricom's Chief Customer Officer Sylvia Mulinge is very powerful and has been running the firm since before Bob Collymore took over. Collymore was a man who played to the tune of the high skirt Kikuyu girl that hides behind a Kamba name. Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the defacto CEO of Safaricom PLC. ALSO READ: Transcend Saga: Safaricom multi-billionaire staff and their subversion of justice In the Transcend Saga, Bob Collymore is confronted by the directors of that firm through two emails. The contents of the emails requested him to shed more light on Transcend’s submitted proposal in the tender titled, Request for Proposal (RFP) for 2nd Agency for Safaricom ATL/BTL Creative and Digital Services on 25th January 2016 , which had been stolen and given to Saracen Media Limited to implement. Transcend had copyrighted its proposal and submitted it as, Kenya Speaks Safaricom, Youth Assets Communication Strategy, Digital Tribe and Shangwe Sato along with the peculiar artistry, concept and modifications . Safaricom was looking for a company that would create and implement a communication strategy that touches on the youths. CAPTION: Transcend Media Group Limited writes to Bob Collymore protesting copyright infringement. Bob doesn't respond. When the second email went unanswered, Transcend wrote to Vodafone Group and the UK guys were not only embarrassed but ashamed. CAPTION: Vodafone, Safaricom's influential shareholder is contacted but responds in a peculiar manner (See item 49 below in bold) Collymore having been caught off guard, it is the crooks around Sylvia Mulinge that advised the now panicky Vodafone conglomerate to file an injunction at Milimani Law courts. Item 49, ‘The 1st Defendant (Safaricom Plc) and Vodafone Group Services Limited responded to the request for information and answers by filing a suit at the Milimani Commercial and Admiralty Division in HCCC No. 228 of 2016 seeking to gag the Plaintiff purportedly on grounds of publication of injurious falsehoods. An application for interim orders of injunction was dismissed in a ruling delivered on 4th October 2016’ . They lost, and Transcend was about to unleash, to the public, one of the biggest scandals in the history of corporate Kenya. Safaricom moved with speed to quell the issue by agreeing to compensate Transcend for its intellectual property. Vodafone Group Services was left with an egg on the face. Sylvia had lied to Vodafone that everything was gonna be alright and that they'll handle the issue. But the manner of its handling went against ethical business practice. How Vodafone still keeps Mulinge at the top of the firm is not a mystery. You've seen her work. The continued infringement of intellectual property rights by Safaricom continues, the evidence aptly captured here and elsewhere . The document was to be hidden but the truth on the infringement of intellectual property has come out, thanks to nyakundireport.com. CAPTION: Facade and a ruse procurement that also flouted Safaricom's Supplier Code of Conduct in particular provisions 2.1 and 2.2