Simple in life, simple in death: Bob Collymore cremated at Kariokor

A hearse leaves Kariokor Hindu Crematorium, Nairobi, where Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore was interred.

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore has been cremated at Kariokor Hindu Crematorium, Nairobi. Collymore died of cancer of the blood on Monday.

People watched the private interment from the crematorium’s fence as security people allowed in the few people who had been invited to the interment.

Earlier on, the modest cortege had made its way on Jogoo Road before branching off to Kariokor. 

A corporate titan and a great fighter, Collymore had faced his cancer bravely refusing to lapse into despair.

In a much-talked-about interview with Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinange Collynmore said: “Then you look at the options. You know I am one of the people who believe that when I die, I actually wanna be cremated pretty quickly.”

But Collymore was prepared for death. He admitted during the interview that being diagnosed with leukemia did not upset him that much.

“I kinda expected it,” he said.

Collymore said if he had not sought a second opinion, he would have been dead by December 2017.

Security was tight at Kariokor Crematorium, only invited guests were alllowed in.

“It would have killed me by Christmas for sure. I would have been ex-CEO, the late,” he said, with a smirk on his face.

On Monday Jeff disclosed that Collymore had recently taken a turn for the worse.

 “In fact, a few weeks ago, his wife Wambui had asked a couple of us to donate blood for platelets. His blood refused to clot. He was getting nose bleeds out of the blues,” Jeff said.

Ever concerned about the plight of the less fortunate in society, Collymore was reflective on his cancer.

 “What happens to the poor Kenyan who suffers from this? He asked Jeff. “One, you not gonna be diagnosed because you will think its fever and this is always the problem. People do not go to get diagnosed for whatever, because, one, they do not have the money, so there are many people who will be dying in the world and Kenya for sure due to lack of diagnosis and lack of a cure.”

Collymore said nobody should die from cancer in this day and age of advanced science. He said what made cancer scary was how people reacted once one break the news.

“In my family, my ex-wife and my sister all had cancer, and she (ex-wife) celebrated her fifth-year cancer-free when I was in London and my sister is six years cancer-free. So you don’t have to die of cancer," he concluded.

Additional reporting with Graham  Kajilwa