Wambui Kamiru Collymore, widow of the late Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore, on Tuesday September 15 told off the Standard Media Group over what she termed as intrusion into her private life.
Wambui was reacting to a story published on the Standard Newspaper with the title “Inside Bob Collymore’s Last Will” on Tuesday.
In the story, the daily revealed that the late Safaricom boss left all his wealth to her and appointed State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita as trustee in the absence of the widow.
But in a series of tweets, Wambui rebuked the media, stating her private life is not newsworthy arguing that there are better stories that the Kenyan media can focus on.
“Since 2016 when my name first appeared in press concerning my private life, I have done some interviews and turned down a lot more than I have accepted. Often my interviews are focused on the work I do in the hope that it educates and empowers others. My argument has always been that my personal life is not news worthy, ” one of her tweets read.
Wambui continued, “as I understand it, the job of media is to inform, educate and empower. This is the essence of free press – to enhance critical thought and then to drive positive change.”
“Since the focus is on me again and I still don’t consider myself newsworthy, here are a couple of stories that I wish were national news. These are stories, I would like to see on the front page.”
She went on to share some of the human interest stories that she thinks the media should put on the front pages.
The Standard had reported that in the event Nzioka Waita, who was Collymore’s friend, became the sole trustee, the late Guyanese businessman’s wealth in Kenya would be split between three entities.
Collymore’s son by his previous marriage James Collymore of UK would get 40 per cent of his wealth while his daughter Sarah Collymore, similarly of UK, would get an equal share of the estate.
Wambui’s children would get 20 per cent of the wealth but only after attaining the age of 18, and in equal shares.
Wambui first came into the limelight in 2016 after tying the knot with Collymore in a private affair in Nairobi’s Kitisuru area.
She is founder of The Art Space, an independent commercial art gallery situated on Riverside Drive in Nairobi.
Collymore passed on in July last year after battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia for nearly two years.
