KDN top management including those from the mother company, Altech, other Shareholders and local managers were out in full swing to re-assure key stakeholders and members of the public that all are alright at the major data carrier. The company has recently been in the news with rumours of mismanagement and a court case from a partner, Soliton Telemec.
On Monday, KDN opened a new headquarter at Sameer Business Park along Mombasa Road. The new ultra-modern facility within the Sameer Business Park campus offers bigger working space which is more comfortable, eco-friendly and ready for future expansions. The top management including Tim Ellis, Altech Group Executive in charge of Converged Services, sought to assure the concerned that the company is in Kenya for the long term and any legal or management challenges it is going through now are neither insurmountable nor unique.
Tim Ellis also came out strongly to assure the KDN employees that they have open communication channels with top management and they will not tolerate the mistreatment of staff by either the local or international managers.This assurance came out as an indirect response to staff complaints of racist attitude displayed by some of Altech seconded managers from South Africa.
I arrived at KDN’s new facility and at the gate of the Sameer Business Park, we have Savanna Coffee Lounge. I spotted Naushad Merali, Tim Ellis, Rikus Matthyser and others having what seemed to be a working lunch. Later at the unveiling of the new HQs, Naushad Merali who is one of the shareholders at KDN sought to assure the country that all will be well and as a shareholder, he will not tolerate the company making losses. Naushad said “I don’t like to have relationships with companies which makes losses”
Rikus documented his achievements as the CEO of KDN. He listed the new data centre and completing the Kampala to Kigali fibre link as his key successful projects and he is leaving a happy man. The Kampala to Kigali fibre link will go live within 30 days according to the outgoing KDN CEO, Rikus Matthyser. Rikus is set to leave the top job to Shahab Meshki who is the immediate former East Africa Regional Manager of CISCO. Shahab will be assuming the new position from 15th October and Rikus will take a support role in the company.
KDN leases data pipes to ISPs, corporates and residential consumers in Kenya. The carrier of carriers has a serrves 65% of Kenyan ISPs according to Rikus Matthyser. The company recently launched a modern Ksh 600 Million data centre within Sameer Business Park. The company has also invested in over Ksh 400 Million in overhauling its Fibre Optic link to beat vandals at their game. KDN is also set to commission a US $15 Million network in Uganda. 30% of space at the new data centre have already been taken up.
Altech Group owns 60.8% of the company and Sameer Africa holds the remaining 39.2%.
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