Safaricom outgoing chairman Nicholas Ng’ang’a. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NMG Whenever up and about in public places, Nicholas Ng’ang’a on many occasions goes unnoticed. And he loves it that way; a quiet and simplistic lifestyle.
As such his face may not be the most easily recognisable to many despite his rich legacy both in government and corporate Kenya.
From a long-running career in government as Permanent Secretary (PS) in various dockets including Finance, Foreign Affairs and Health, as well as chairing several corporates including the giant telco, Safaricom , the 75-year-old’s work history is impressive.
During his stint as Treasury PS, retired President Mwai Kibaki was his minister while the current Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of Civil Service Joseph Kinyua was the Financial Secretary.
Affectionately referred to as “Nick” by peers, he is also a past chairman of the National Bank of Kenya and currently chairs the management boards of G4S Security, Car & General Kenya besides being a member of the Board of Kakuzi Limited.
But even with these achievements, Ng’ang’a believes in service delivery and not fame or power—a trait his peers attribute to his imposing performance over the years.
“I think Nick is one of the most gentle top government officials we ever had…as Treasury Principal Secretary he demystified the long held notion of power,” said a top business executive who interacted with Ng’ang’a in the 1980s.
On Wednesday, the soft-spoken Ng’ang’a turned over yet another leaf in his career when he stepped down as chairman of Safaricom after 13 years at the helm during which he helped to steer the company into East Africa’s most profitable firm.
“He has steered the company through various milestones over the period. During his tenure as chairman, Nganga has been instrumental for the monumental growth that the telco has experienced,” said Safaricom chief executive officer Peter Ndegwa in a statement on Thursday.
And a look into the giant telco’s history corroborates Ndegwa’s equally giant claim.
Ng’ang’a has been the chairman of the Safaricom board since January 2007, having joined the board in May 2004 as a non-executive director.He has overseen the tenures of three CEOs including the company’s founding chief executive Michael Joseph, Bob Collymore, a Guyanan-born British citizen, who took charge of Safaricom in 2010 until he succumbed to illness in July 2019 and now Ndegwa.Ndegwa was picked to replace Collymore from April 1 this year.The Safaricom CEO fell short of describing Ng’ang’a as the […]