Sylvia Mulinge is a nightmare at the blue-chip mobile phone service provider Safaricom PLC. Just days after Peter Ndegwa assumed office as the new chief executive officer, the Safaricom killer Chief Customer Service Officer has created a rift.
Kenyan Bulletin has learnt that the senior management is deeply divided referring to the new CEO Peter Ndegwa as an outsider, thanks to the killer director underworld dealings. She is a bad omen for Safaricom and we warned him prior. Peter Ndegwa should listen very carefully, fire her before she sinks his plans.
Safaricom under late Bob Collymore had embarked on grooming an insider and a
Kenyan to take over as CEO. Bob started this mess, RIP to his soul. Well, it has started haunting Peter Ndegwa who hasn’t even received his first cheque.
For starters, In 2018 when Bob was the face of Safaricom PLC, he called for a major shuffle of senior management posts. That is when new executive roles were created to harbour Sylvia Mulinge. She, out of the blues landed to lucrative chief customer officer post. How did she get it? {board}Bedroom decisions? Your guess is well as mine- she was inserted there.
Mulinge’s office had a huge task and duties, among them consumer business, sales operations, customer service, brand marketing and experience, digital and market development. Sylvia cannot manage anything, she’s been at the helm for stealing ideas from ordinary Kenyans and such a person who has risen and stayed at the top through deceit and other means shouldn’t speak in the table of true ladies. She is heartless to even be considered a woman.
Sylvia Mulinge Tribalism
As part of the then succession matrix, Steve Okeyo, then Safaricom director, regional sales and operations was unceremoniously forced to resign. It is said that Okeyo was a sharp brain and was seen
as those locals likely to be CEO.
Apart from the succession wars, Okeyo was also hounded out of office basing because of tribalism. Kenyan Bulletin sources have confirmed that Safaricom directors have no time for Luos, thanks to Mulinge. It is said when Collymore died, many expected Joseph Ogutu, to be appointed the acting CEO. To the surprise of many, former CEO Michael Joseph was appointed to act.
Ogutu was even among those mentioned to succeed Collymore. He is currently director, strategy and innovation. He was poached from Telkom Kenya while working as principal assistant to the MD and chief strategy and regulatory officer.
Mulinge On Ndegwa
She has now turned the whole board against Peter Ndegwa. How does she do that? Because she threatens other board members? She has an active murder case- everyone is afraid of such characters. Bribes them?
How an outsider in the name of Ndegwa with no experience in telecommunication field landed the plum slot to earn more salary than those managers who have seen the company grow is causing friction. Sylvia Mulinge had prepared the managers to just wait for Ndegwa to take over the mandate and engage into silent wars.
It is said that Ndegwa appointment was due to government pressure as Vodafone wanted a foreigner in charge to avoid management wars at the helm. To groom Mulinge, Collymore appointed her Vodacom Tanzania CEO. That was in April 2018. This flopped terribly as Tanzania under Magufuli Pombe can’t work with a killer.
On his side, the new CEO has Nicholas Mulila, the Chief Cooperate Security Officer. Mulila has no ambitions of being CEO hence the decision to work closely with Ndegwa. Mulila is out to protect Carolyne Luchiri the wife who works at human resource as senior manager.
Mulinge is a bitter woman crying in silence as she was ahead of those to succeed Collymore. Stephen Chege is chief cooperate affairs officer and by virtue of being a Kikuyu, celebrated Ndegwa’s appointment. Chege is one of those scheming to surround Ndegwa and influence decisions as Mulinge did during the tenures of Collymore and Joseph.
Chief finance officer Sateesh Kamath has been comfortable with a foreigner being in charge. When Collymore was on sick leave for months, Kamath acted in the position. When Ndegwa was appointed, Kamath was overheard dismissing the move arguing Telcom Industry was different from a brewery one. Ndegwa initially worked in the brewing industry.
Sitoys Lopokoiyit is chief Finance Services Officer and is leaning towards Mulinge camp.
Paul Kasimu, the chief human resource with Rita Okuthe chief enterprise business office prayers was to have Paul Ogutu named CEO.
Within the board, it is said Michael Joseph wanted a foreigner in charge and wanted a top official at Vodacom based in South America moved to Nairobi head office. That is why he worked his way to act as interim CEO to influence the appointment.
But behind the scenes, the State was pushing for a local to take over with Esther Koimett PS pushing the move.
Other directors on board are Bitange Ndemo, Linda Muriuki, Rose Ogega, Till Streichert and Mohammed Shameel Joasub.
One of the board of directors recently left. Streichart resigned as Vodacom chief financial officer. He served as a non-Executive Director Vodafone Tanzania, Vodafone Kenya and Safaricom.
Surprisingly, no woman in top management wanted Mulinge CEO among them, Debra Mallowah, chief business development officer.
