Many are familiar with Safaricom’s glorious achievements since the turn of the century, largely attributed to notable figures like Michael Joseph, Bob Collymore, and currently Peter Ndegwa.
The same popularity figures cannot be said about the board of directors, who make important decisions for the company. One notable member was Nicholas Nganga, a man with extensive knowledge of the corporate world.
Nganga has been credited with steering Safaricom PLC towards profitability and success over the years. He joined Safaricom on May 6, 2004.
Nearly 3 years later in January 2007, he was appointed as chair of the board of directors. Nicholas Ng’anga has served in different government capacities as a Permanent Secretary.
Nganga has had a distinguished career, serving in the ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, and Health.
During his tenure at the Treasury as Permanent Secretary, he worked under former President Mwai Kibaki, with Joseph Kinyua, the former Head of Public Service, serving as his Finance Secretary.
Nganga transitioned to the corporate world, where he served as chairman for several companies.
His notable roles included leading the National Bank of Kenya, Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC), G4S Security, East African Portland Cement (EAPC), Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), Car & General Kenya Limited, and the Tea Board of Kenya.
Nganga also served as Vice Chairman of the Council of the University of Nairobi and as a commissioner of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (now IEBC).
The soft-spoken man later joined the blue-chip company Safaricom as a director and was elevated to board chairman following the departure of Wilson Ndolo Ayah. This role allowed him to shine while bringing out the best in him.
His board appointment came via a nomination by the Kenyan government through the Treasury. Back then, Safaricom was still a young player with 6.08 million subscribers and 1,000 employees.
The company was making Sh. 47.4 billion in revenue and an after-tax profit of Sh. 12 billion.
Three months into his board role, M-Pesa was launched. Under his guidance, it didn’t just dominate Kenya; it took neighbouring countries by storm too.
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Under his leadership, he has overseen the transition of 3 Safaricom CEOs including Michael Joseph, the late Bob Collymore and Peter Ndegwa.
After 13 years of success, Nicholas Nganga retired from the giant telco which now serves more than 35.6 million customers and employs more than 6,500 people. He is responsible for earning Safaricom global recognition as a technology innovator.