MJ are his initials and depending on your affiliation, MJ could be a reference for the king of pop Michael Jackson or the basketball greatest of all time (Goat) Michael Jordan, but if you are Kenyan, there is another MJ in mind-Michael Joseph, even if most may not refer to him by the initials.
This past month, MJ resigned from his role as the Chairman of the Global Partnership for Ethiopia (Safaricom Ethiopia) while his term as the board Chairman of national airline Kenya Airways (KQ) also lapsed.
MJ, who came to Kenya first in 2000 to start Safaricom, serving as its first chief executive, then for a second time after the passing of his successor Bob Collymore and later as chairman, admits that he may have never come to Kenya in the first place were it not for his abrasive stance which saw him miss out on a CEO role for a successful telecoms company in Europe.
“I am not known as a diplomat. If I was more diplomatic, I would be in another job today, but I am not. Before I came to Kenya, I wanted to stay in Europe as a CEO of a big telecom company, but they said that my personality and my nature is too abrasive.
‘You better go to Africa’ and I am very grateful because I have loved my time here,” Michael Joseph said to the Business Daily in an interview on Friday last week.
His time at Safaricom and KQ could be comparable to night and day. The former, a successful technology behemoth raking hundreds of billions of shillings a year in revenue and with a mouth-watering net profit which has allowed it to take its chance by spearheading a greenfield operation in Ethiopia.
KQ has been a tougher call as the airline navigates turbulence, more so, legacy debt and a seemingly never-ending quest for a new strategic investor.
MJ has however loved the challenge and has been vocal in underlining the importance of the airline, insisting that the government, the public and even the media must support it.
Despite the tumultuous times at KQ, he is proud of his achievements at the airline even as he admits to the tough task and laments what he perceives as lack of support from the powers that be.
“I was asked by the previous government to take over the Chairmanship of the board and I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Probably, if I had known, I might have said no. But you do not say no when the President asks you to do a job,” he adds.
“The people that count still don't see the importance of Kenya Airways to this country. KQ is not just a business but a strategic asset for the country. If we lose this airline, it will be a tremendous blow to Kenya and not just shareholders. Yes, we lose money, sometimes we are late, and every airline has this challenge. It is not the end of the world. If you are a financial analyst, has KQ turned around? Yes, there was a turnaround in 2024, but do we generate enough cash to expand the network and grow the airline? No, we don’t. The naysayers are still out there.”
MJ is not about to walk off into the sunset and collect his flowers for a job well done.
For him, staying intellectually stimulated matters a lot even at 79. His interests in conservation and sustainability will see him continuing to serve as the Chairman of the Lewa Conservancy.
He also remains a board member of agricultural insurance technology company Pula and M-Gas subsidiary Circle Gas.
“I want to continue doing things that are interesting and intellectually challenging. On the KQ job, from my point of view, other than being a national airline which I knew nothing about, I took the job because I found it intellectually challenging,” he says.
“You will be seeing me more around but maybe not in such a visible position in a public company like Kenya Airways or Safaricom Ethiopia. I’m not going anywhere or retiring. Let’s see what comes, I am a great believer that life will present opportunities to everybody, but whether you take them up, is up to you.”
MJ expects to split his time between the United Kingdom and Kenya over coming years as he has an appreciation for both countries.
His ‘retirement’ home is in West Wales and not Kenya, but he gives a good reason for it.
“My wife comes from Wales, and her family is there. But my heart is in Kenya. If I had my choice, this (Kenya) is my home, but when you are married you make compromises. This is where I would like to die if someone asked me that question.”
Retirement is yet to cross his mind, and he doesn’t think of what happens 11 years to come when he turns 90.
“I am not worried about that; I am worried about what I will do next week. I live in the moment. I may not even be alive at 90 but it is not my concern. There is no looking forward to retirement. I am not a person to sit at home and maw the lawn or whatever people do when they are retired. I will always be busy.”
