Michael Joseph resigns from Safaricom

By Peter Ochieng

Michael Joseph has called it a day at telecommunications giant, Safaricom.

He has resigned from position of Director of the Board.

Joseph has been at Safaricom for more than 20 years, where he held various positions among them the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Board.

His resignation took effect on 1st August, 2023.

According to a statement from the company shared on Tuesday evenning, he stepped down to focus on other issues, which include serving as Chairman of Kenya Airways (KQ).

"Michael leaves the Board to focus on other ventures in his life including continuing his role as Chairman of Kenya Airways, and being a director in various organizations. He will continue to pursue his passions in matters of conservation and community service," the statement reads in part.

Michael Joseph was the founding CEO of Safaricom, and has served in various capacities at the organization since 2000.

"Notably, Michael was the founding CEO of Safaricom Limited, steering the Company from a subscriber base of less than 18,000 in 2000 to over 17 million subscribers by his retirement in November 2010 making it the most successful company in East Africa."

He is also credited for having played a major role in the launch of both Safaricom and M-Pesa foundations, which continue to support many projects in environmental conservation, health and education among others.

He as Chairman, together with the late Bob Collymore as CEO launched the highly successful M-PESA Foundation Academy.