• Happiness is fleeting and death is inevitable, but many never get a chance to plan their death like the iconic Collymore.
• Collymore died on the dawn of Monday this week after a long battle with cancer.
Image: FILE
Each note, as the bow stroked the violin’s strings, evoked the multifaceted life of a man who lived both large and modestly.
One note sounding metallic and strong told of a powerful and expansive personality. A high-pitched note suggested his aspirations. A deep, heart-piercing note told of his humanity.
In both music and words, former Safaricom boss Bob Collymore was remembered as a charismatic, cheerful and humble humanitarian.
“Bob loved music. He loved jazz and loved to dance. Bob lived every day like it was his last,” Ashley Chepkorir said in one of many tributes on Thursday.
The Safaricom Youth Orchestra and the Ghetto Classics musicians — young boys and girls dressed in black and white — changed the tones and tunes and mourners mood changed.
They played My Way made famous by Frank Sinatra and sung on Thursday by a member of the Safaricom choir.
"I've lived a life that's full; I've travelled each and every highway; but more, much more than this, did it my way."
That's how Bob lived.
This was not the usual memorial service. Maybe because it was attended by everyone, from the head of state to slum dwellers. Bob wanted everyone to wear bright colours.
And so family, friends, relatives and colleagues were dressed in rainbow colours, some in kitenge, and others in imported silks and satins. Only security officers and ushers wore black.
“We are celebrating the life of a man who lived his life his way,” his friends and colleagues remembered.
Tables draped in white and decorated with cream and green flowers were placed in strategic places for the mourners to take a bottle of water, the programme and eulogy.
Security was heavy around All Saints Cathedral, with sniffer dogs checking mourners’ bags before they could enter.
The crowd in a tent outside was excitement and awed to see politicians they have only seen on television make their way into the church.
Occasionally, they would wonder aloud who the person was.
The widow Wambui Collymore got the most attention.
At the altar; where the casket would have been, was a table with a huge portrait of Bob wearing a white shirt and a big smile.
A thick navy blue drapery hung above the altar.
In the middle, a big silver cross towered, reflecting light back to the podium. A smaller gold cross stood next to it.
A tall candle stand held one candle with a single yellow flame.
Bob’s family including the wife and children walked gracefully down the blue-carpeted aisle.
The widow, dressed in a flowered dress, closely shaven hair and glasses sat on the front wooden seat, without kneelers.
Kenya Commercial Bank CEO Joshua Oigara was the first to speak, reading the eulogy emphasising Bob's affinity for the arts.
“He found the perfect medium that allowed him to explore how to create more opportunities for young children through music,” he said.
“He successfully founded the Safaricom International Jazz Festival and would cherish the opportunity to award-winning international acts alongside Kenyan jazz musicians,"
The heartfelt tributes moved the audience from sadness to gratitude and eventually hope. A reminder of the good times drew teary eyes while funny moments lightened the mood.
“He was a very humble man full of life. He was a humanitarian, a philanthropist and a selfless individual who gave his best to all his endeavours,” Charles Musandu of Safaricom said.
The weather fluctuated with the moods. One minute, it was sunny and the next, dark clouds towered above the century-old church. The congregation that had spilled outside the church, were sometimes perspiring and sometimes chilled.
Happiness is fleeting and death is inevitable, but many never get a chance to plan their death like the iconic Collymore.
While Bob who was at the helm of the largest telecom in the region and had to contend with more than 30 million callers every day, he will not call us anymore.