Frankline Okata is Safaricom’s new Chief Enterprise Business Officer, following the departure of Cynthia Karuri-Kropac, who exited the role in early July after less than two years at the helm.
The leadership change is part of a broader executive realignment under CEO Peter Ndegwa, as the telco intensifies its focus on enterprise and digital services to counter stagnating voice and SMS revenues.
“Frankline brings a wealth of experience and a good understanding of our Enterprise business and operations,” said Ndegwa.
“He joined Safaricom in 2006 as a Customer Care Representative and has grown through various roles, including leading our strategy to scale integrated packaged technology solutions and overseeing the SME segment.”
Okata’s appointment signals a strategic shift toward promoting internal talent with deep institutional knowledge. He most recently served as Head of Packaged Solutions, where he led the development of digital tools for small and micro businesses and helped build alternative delivery channels through digital, retail, and indirect platforms.
Between 2022 and 2024, he was seconded to Safaricom Ethiopia as Executive Head of Merchant Payments, playing a key role in the company’s regional expansion.
A Quiet Exit for a Global Executive
Karuri-Kropac joined Safaricom in September 2022 from AT&T Inc., where she held senior leadership roles in enterprise mobility, IoT, and digital solutions. Her appointment followed the short-lived tenure of Kris Senanu, who exited in 2022 after less than a year.
“On behalf of the entire Safaricom family, I extend our gratitude to Cynthia for her contributions and leadership over the past couple of years and wish her success in her next chapter,” said Ndegwa.
“She led our efforts to drive new growth areas in enterprise, with a focus on IoT, ICT, and cloud solutions—key pillars in our vision of becoming Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company.”
Karuri-Kropac’s departure marks the third leadership change in the enterprise division in just over three years, underscoring the strategic importance—and volatility—of the unit as Safaricom pivots toward B2B services.
Enterprise at the Core of Safaricom’s Future
The enterprise division is increasingly central to Safaricom’s growth strategy, as the company expands into cloud services, digital financial solutions, and enterprise connectivity.
In 2024, M-PESA accounted for 44% of Safaricom’s KSh 364.3 billion service revenue, growing 15.2% year-on-year to KSh 161.1 billion. The platform now processes over KSh 1.5 trillion ($11.6 billion) monthly from more than 30 million active users.
Since taking over in 2020, Ndegwa has overseen a near-complete overhaul of Safaricom’s executive team. All chief officers who served under the late CEO Bob Collymore have since exited, including Sylvia Mulinge, now CEO of MTN Uganda.
Who is Frankline Okata?
Okata is a seasoned B2B sales and business development leader with nearly two decades at Safaricom. His expertise spans
- Direct and indirect sales
- Payments and merchant solutions
- Corporate portfolio management
- Business process improvement
- Customer experience and product development
He holds extensive experience in building digital-first solutions for SMEs and is credited with leading the Safaricom Business Hub, a platform designed to deliver bundled digital services to Kenya’s growing enterprise sector.
