Kenya: Safaricom Appoints Frankline Okata as Chief Enterprise Officer in Executive Overhaul

Safaricom has named Frankline Okata as its new Chief Enterprise Business Officer, succeeding Cynthia Karuri-Kropac, in a significant leadership reshuffle aimed at accelerating the company’s pivot toward enterprise and digital services. The appointment reflects CEO Peter Ndegwa’s ongoing revamp of Safaricom’s executive team as the telco seeks to diversify revenue streams beyond its maturing voice and SMS segments.

“Frankline brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of our Enterprise operations,” Ndegwa said in a statement. “He joined Safaricom in 2006 as a Customer Care Representative and has steadily risen through the ranks, joining the Enterprise Business Unit in 2011 and leading critical growth initiatives.”

Okata has been instrumental in driving Safaricom’s integrated technology solutions strategy, particularly in scaling offerings targeted at small and micro enterprises. His elevation signals a renewed focus on internal leadership development as the company navigates its next phase of growth.

Karuri-Kropac, who joined Safaricom from U.S.-based AT&T in 2022, stepped down from the role in early July after less than two years in office. Her departure follows a string of short-lived tenures in the enterprise division, including that of her predecessor, Kris Senanu, who exited after only a year.

“We thank Cynthia for her leadership and dedication,” Ndegwa added. “She played a key role in advancing our enterprise growth agenda, with a strong focus on IoT, ICT, and cloud solutions—pillars of our ambition to become Africa’s leading purpose-driven technology company.”

The enterprise division has become increasingly strategic for Safaricom as it seeks to strengthen its position in connectivity, cloud services, and digital financial platforms. Karuri-Kropac’s exit marks the third change in leadership in the division within three years.

Since taking the helm in April 2020, Ndegwa has overseen a complete overhaul of Safaricom’s executive ranks, with all chief officers who served under the late CEO Bob Collymore either stepping down or retiring early. This includes Sylvia Mulinge, former Chief Consumer Business Officer, who now leads MTN Uganda as CEO.

The leadership transition comes as Safaricom executes a broader shift in strategy. While voice and SMS revenues remain flat, the telco is banking on M-PESA and enterprise services to drive growth. In 2024, M-PESA contributed 44% of the company’s $2.8 billion (KES 364.3 billion) service revenue, with a 15.2% annual increase to $1.2 billion (KES 161.1 billion). The mobile money platform now handles over $11.6 billion (KES 1.5 trillion) in transactions monthly from more than 30 million active users.

With Okata’s appointment, Safaricom aims to consolidate its enterprise momentum and unlock new digital revenue opportunities amid intensifying competition and shifting market dynamics.