[kictanet] Bob Collymore; Yet to arrive

[Wamuyu Gatheru]

Robert,

I watched Bob Collymore on the bench today. There were many great  
things he said including about staff working 24 hrs to upgrade the  
systems and how laying off of staff due to market changes will imply  
management failure.

The comment that a primary school child in Kisumu does not know who  
the President of Kenya was wrong. Kids in primary school (nursery  
school and toddlers I may add) not only know the President but can  
imitate him as well. Also while all the sky diving info was  
interesting most Kenyans may not know what sky diving is.

Yes, culturally Bob has his work cut out. But perhaps he does'nt need  
to do the work. He can accept that unlike Michael he is upper crust  
and may never catch the pulse of wanainchi. He could create a posh but  
caring CEO image that Kenyans can identify with - start flying  
choppers to meetings in dark glasses, buy car models that are only  
seen in movies, wear pink shirts with lavender ties, get the bling  
going etc

If however, he does want to be a local, besides eating in Njuguna's  
and visiting Kiamaiko, he can watch our great soaps. Actually, I  
recommend these for Kenyans who could be loosing touch with the mass  
culture. To catch up with what the kids are up to listen to 97.1 FM  
(one FM), watch Machachari, Sakata (great dancing) and Tahidi High.  
For all age groups watch Papa Shirandula, Mother in Law, the Wedding  
Show and the energised evangelical programmes on Sunday morning. So  
without getting too dusty in Kiamaiko, Bob can catch the Kenyan drift.

regards,
Wamuyu


-- 
Soko ID Co. Ltd
Tel: +254 (0)721 468699
http://www.soko-id.co.ke/

Soko ID is an innovative company that supports public organisations  
and promotes the Kenyan heritage on the internet.






Quoting robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>:

> Hi Listers,
>
> I had a chance to catch my namesake Robert Collymore's on the bench interview
> rerun with Jeff Koinange and it was quite enlightening especially from how he
> answered the questions.
>
> For some reason Jeff was too mellow seems like he had been given a  
> script which
> was unfortunate, his interview of one Kaguta Museveni was more punchy.
>
> As I listened to the interview it became clear that Bob has still  
> not arrived in
> Kenya, he is here physically but his heart must have been lost in transit,
> airlines keep doing it with peoples luggage, he needs a chance to arrive.
>
> I would suggest that first someone takes him across to Njuguna's preferably
> after Mututho, best would be if it was with a non-safaricom supplier or staff
> member as he needs an orientation in Kenyanism.  After this he needs to visit
> Kiamaiko and also watch a soccer match at Dandora or Kibera stadiums then he
> will be better placed to comment on the Kenyan.  He might even be  
> allowed to get
> aware with using terms like Kubafu and peculiar to describe us.
>
> Unlike MJ, Bob has come to occupy the sit at the top of an existing  
> ivory tower
> that Micheal built, from where the view can be very deceiving and
> his lieutenants are likely to insulate him from what is happening on  
> the ground.
>
>
> If he genuinely wants to sort our the rote within Safaricom and move the
> organisation into the future then he must descend from the ivory  
> tower and order
> his heart back via express courier otherwise his stay shall be short and
> uneventful.  You cannot appreciate the bigger picture if you have no contact
> with the sectoral one, the pixels make the picture.
>
> Just my take from the answers he gave to the soft questions that where rolled
> towards him.
>
> Regards
>
> Bob akaribishwe kimtaa
>
>  Robert Yawe
> KAY System Technologies Ltd
> Phoenix House, 6th Floor
> P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
> Kenya
>
>
> Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696
>
>
>
>