East African Business Week

Nairobi, Kenya - East Africa's largest mobile network telephone firm Safaricom Limited, has announced a top management shake-up and there are signs that  changes will occur in its middle level management ranks as well.
The company, which dominates the Kenya market with more than 70% of the market share,  is under pressure to cut excess staff as  competition mounts from Airtel, Yu and Orange in Kenya's  cut-throat competition.
Following the restructuring exercise that CEO, Bob Collymore said aims at making Safaricom leaner and more efficient in meeting customer needs, Mr Robert Mugo and Mr John Bororot who headed the information and technical departments respectively have left the company.
Making the announcement last week, Collymore said he had accepted their decision "to transit out of Safaricom as they seek new opportunities."
Collymore presented a new organizational structure to the media which created the customer focused Strategic Business Units (SBUs) and streamlined the supporting Corporate Centre. It is fundamentally aligned to Safaricom's strategic direction.
The leaner structure presents three Revenue Centres: Financial Services, Enterprise and Consumer business and six Function positions
The new team includes Mr Peter Arina - General Manager, Consumer Business, Ms Betty Mwangi-Thuo - General Manager, Financial Services, Mr  Chris Tiffin - Chief Finance Officer,  Mr Joe Ogutu- Director, Resources, Mr Ivor Wekesa - Director, Risk Management and Nzioka Waita - Director, Legal, Regulatory and External Affairs
In addition to the above appointments, Ms Pauline Warui will continue to Head Customer Service, Ms Claire Ruto, previosily head of corporate affairs, will head the Legal and Regulatory Affairs while Ms Wangari Murugu will continue to head Marketing.
Mr Francis Murabula will also continue with the company as Head of Procurement and Logistics, while Les Baillie will continue managing Investor Relations reporting to the CFO.
The CEO said the appointments take effect from April . He said the  positions of ·General Manager/Enterprise Business, Technical & IT Director,  Director - Marketing & Customer Service and  Executive Business Analyst remain vacant although the process to fill them has already been initiated.
The telecom industry has seen an increase in competition throughout East Africa as firms struggle to keep and gain custromers.