Safaricom has long been seen as Kenya’s most powerful telecommunications company, but in recent years, its image has been steadily losing shine.
The criticism voiced by George Diano on X captures what many Kenyans feel today. He bluntly stated that there is nothing good Safaricom has done since Bob Collymore’s time apart from allegedly selling customer data to fraudsters.
That sentiment may sound harsh, but it mirrors growing frustration over a company that was once celebrated for innovation but is now viewed with suspicion over its ethics.
Under Bob Collymore, Safaricom recorded massive growth, both in profit and customer base, and many remember his era as one of trust and strong leadership.
Since his death, however, the company has been accused of straying away from protecting the interests of its customers.
While Safaricom has rolled out new technologies like 5G and continues to dominate the mobile money market through M-PESA, the darker side of its operations is what people like Diano are pointing to.
The real concern lies in how customer data is being handled and whether privacy rights are being trampled on in the name of profit and control.
The company has previously faced lawsuits over alleged leaks of subscriber information, particularly data connected to millions of Kenyans who used their numbers for betting.
Such claims cannot be dismissed lightly because they reveal a system where personal information may not be secure.
At the same time, accusations that Safaricom has supplied call records to state agencies without following proper legal processes have sparked public outrage.
There have been chilling reports linking such actions to abductions and even killings. If a company with so much influence can allow its systems to be misused in this way, then it raises the question of whether Safaricom is serving Kenyans or betraying them.
The criticism that the company has achieved “nothing good” since Bob’s era may not entirely dismiss Safaricom’s advancements in technology and expansion. But when weighed against the allegations of data misuse and disregard for accountability, those achievements lose meaning.
Customers care more about the safety of their personal information than about flashy technological milestones. What use is 5G if people cannot trust the company with their private data?
Safaricom today appears to be growing in numbers but shrinking in trust. The dominance it once enjoyed is now being overshadowed by allegations of greed and complicity in practices that harm ordinary Kenyans.
George Diano’s words hit a nerve because they capture the betrayal many feel. For a company that holds the personal data of millions, protecting that information should be the highest priority. Until Safaricom addresses these concerns openly and takes responsibility, it will remain a giant whose power comes at the expense of the very people it claims to serve.
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