Thanks MM

MJ was the first CEO to openly speak of the Kenya’s “Peculiar” behavior… As we have continued to throw hard hitting questions to Safaricom, MJ has politely responded and indeed acted on any issue raised by wateja bila ubaguzi. I salute his leadership style!

From: kictanet-bounces+emuchiri=andestbites.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emuchiri=andestbites.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of muriuki mureithi
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 2010 9:58 AM
To: emuchiri@andestbites.com
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
Subject: [kictanet] The big Kwaheri: reflecting on 10 years on the MJ 10 yr safari and his-tory - day 1

Hi Listers

As you are aware , Michael  Joseph (MJ) leaves the office of CEO on 31^st  of this  month after a 10 year  career at Safaricom. As is tradition,  we at KICTAnet  bid our members   welcome/  farewell  and certainly  this list is the tool of choice     supplemented by a bash when feasible . this is what we want to do starting now – from 10 hrs today the 10^th day of the 10^th month of the 10 year of the new century  we wish to take just 10 days to reflect on the MJ’s 10 year safari ---- . As usual we expect fair and candid thoughts from our hearts and mind and the daily prompting questions will provide a structure for our discussion

we shall present your candid views in style to MJ  at a suitable time  shortly after the closure of the  list discussion----

To kick-start discussion , first let’s look  back over your shoulder -  just recall when he landed in Nairobi in June 2000 and went to work on/at Safaricom. At 17k customers , with barely 9 base stations , the operator was the smallest  and in the eyes of the  potential  consumer, an appendage of the towering TKL of the day .  that was then , it’s no more

· What still lingers in your mind of  MJ early days at Safaricom, his interaction with you , the customers , the media, the regulator , competition etc?

· What factors   shaped MJ’s and Safaricom’s  destiny – did he create the opportunities or was he just smart enough to take advantage  of the situation?

· In juggling between  competing technologies, customer expectation, staff demands, government, market competition, what strikes you as MJ’s  character  that produces the results we see

· What do you think he could have done differently?

· What actions did  MJ take then that are still inexplicable and  you   would want MJ to explain now?

cheers

Muriuki Mureithi