Juliani emotionally recalls the last moment he ever saw Bob Collymore alive

Piece by: Maureen Waruinge

26 December 2022

• By the time he was diagnosed, doctors told him he had had the disease for probably six months.

• He experienced the first symptoms while on a visit to Morocco.

Singer Juliani is getting sentimental recalling moments with the late Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore who died on 1st July 2019.

Juliani took to his Instagram on December 26th to share what he calls his annual photo dump. It was all a dedication to the late Collymore, his good friend.

"My annual G photo dumps. no matter where I was, as long as he is there, I knew that's where I needed to be. Never felt out of place," captioned Juliani.

In another heartfelt post, Juliani shared a photo with Collymore where they appeared to be at a Jazz Festival. The late CEO loved attending Jazz Festivals.

In the picture, Juliani was showing Collymore something on the phone and the ever-attentive Chief Executive was holding his wife's handbag.

"Showing him his recording on how not to dance at the jazz fest. Hio bag discussion for another day. Love to make you do things Amerix wouldn't approve."

Laughing some more, Juliani included another caption of the last day he ever saw Collymore alive.

"B4 his transition we sat for hours at their home and Wambo. He liked walking barefoot, frail, holding onto furniture on his way.

He went to another room and came out with this whiteboard and help me map out our 'Taka bank' idea then. He discussed the future, his role as CEO, personal plans. This is the last time I saw him."

Collymore was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a rare form of blood cancer in 2017, at a London hospital where he had been referred from Nairobi

His company announced their CEO was going on indefinite leave. Collymore’s leave was to seek treatment in London, UK, which lasted nine months.

He revealed details of his battle with cancer through a video link from London in May 2018, during the results briefing for the financial year ending in March.

He revealed details about his treatment and said he was awaiting medical clearance to travel back to Kenya.

“I just entered the final phase of treatment and expect to be back in Nairobi as soon as my doctors feel that my immune system is sufficiently robust to withstand the infection risks that are usually associated with airline travel,” he said in the message directed at Safaricom’s customers, shareholders and staff members.