Here is a list of some of the richest individuals whose origin can be traced back to the Ukambani region as compiled by WoK.

Mike Mbuvi Sonko

Mike Sonko hails from Machakos county and is a familiar name among most Kenyans. Having served as both the senator and governor of Nairobi county, this man is known very well for flaunting his wealth to the public.

He gives out handouts when the need arises, wears expensive chains and clothes and rides in the most luxurious vehicles in the market. Sonko acquired most of his wealth in the early 2000s when he used to buy and sell land in Mombasa.

He later left Mombasa and came to Nairobi where he invested in the Matatu business where he bought 10 matatus that used to operate in the Buruburu-town route. He later joined politics where he was first elected as the Makadara constituency Member of Parliament. 

Also Read: VIP Volume Club: Inside Sonko’s Multi-Million Night Club With Bulletproof Floor

Johnstone Muthama

Johnstone Muthama is the former Senator of Machakos having served from 2013 to 2017 under the Wiper party ticket. He first rose to fame when he was elected as the Member of Parliament representing Kangundo constituency in 2007.

Aside from politics, the 69 year old is a well known businessman with investments in real estate, agriculture and the tourism sectors. He owns Rockland Kenya Limited – a mining company that deals with precious stones like gold, ruby, opal and gemstones. He also owns Nina Marie Limited – a clothing retail company with branches across Africa. 

Also Read: Johnstone Muthama Bio, Businesses And Alleged Sickness

Kalonzo Musyoka

Kalonzo’s name couldn’t miss the list of the wealthiest people in the Ukambani region. He is the former vice president of the republic of Kenya during Kibaki’s government. He is a seasoned politician who has been in the political scene since 1985 when he was first elected as Kitui North Member of Parliament at 32 years only.

Aside from politics, Kalonzo owns a 300 acre land in Yatta, a fleet of apartments in Nairobi, Karen residence estimated to be around Ksh 800 million, Eurocopter helicopter worth Ksh 200 million and a fleet of high end vehicles. 

Harun Mwau

Harun Mwau is a seasoned businessman and politician. He is the former Member of Parliament representing Kilome constituency. He also served as the first director of the now defunct Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority and served for only one year before he was removed by tribunal on claims of being unfit to hold the office.

Some of the companies associated with this billionaire include Harun International Limited, Sheltown Limited, Mwundo Limited and Vitu Limited among others. The 73 year old who was also flagged down by the United States of America as allegedly a potential drug lord, net worth is estimated at $750 million (around USD50 billion).

David Masika

David Masika was born and raised in Makueni county for the better part of his life. He is the man behind Lloyd Masika limited – a company he formed in 1979 together with his European colleague John Lloyd.

This company is arguably the most famous and trusted real estate agency in Kenya. The company has grown to a portfolio of managing over 1 million square feet of commercial space and over 800 estates and residential units.

Some of the major buildings managed by the company include Sarit center, The Mall in Westlands and Barclays Plaza among others. Aside from being the chairman of this successful company Masika serves in different boards and organizations.

They include; Chairman of the Cheshire Disability Services and Board member of K-rep bank, the Nairobi hospital and Pioneer holdings limited.  

Mwalimu Churchill

Daniel Ndambuki famously known as Mwalimu Churchill is a common name among Kenyans. He hosts the popular Churchill show on NTV which has a viewership of up to 11 million Kenyans. The 45 year old who was born in Kitui county also co-hosts a radio show on Classic 105 FM dubbed Maina and King’ang’i.

He owns the Laugh industry company which produces top TV shows such as Churchill show, Churchill raw, Ultimate Comedy – Maisha Magic East Reality show, County Edition, The Journey series and the Kids Festival. He is also involved in Real Estate as well as in the hotel sector with his recent project being the famous Pavilion XV resort situated in Kitengela. 

Patrick Musimba

Patrick Musimba is the current Kibwezi West constituency Member of Parliament. At 49 years old this man has been able to accumulate vast wealth amounting close to billion shillings. Musimba has a Doctor of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship and Enterprise development from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

He is a well renowned businessman and currently serves as chairman of Musimba Investment Group – the group of companies has interests in security, technology, agro-business, ecotourism, sports promotion, energy and mining.

This MP who shys away from limelight was on September 18th 2018 involved in a Ksh 1.15 billion Chase Bank scandal which brought him to the public eyes. He owns multi-million homes in Nairobi and Makueni counties, a fleet of estates and apartments in the Nairobi metropolis and a Bell 407 private helicopter. 

Below are the brains behind some of Kenya’s top international schools.

Kenyatta Family 

The Kenyattas have a vast empire spread over several sectors including education. They are behind the prestigious Peponi School located along Thika Superhighway. The school is said to have an enrolment of over 3000 students from at least 15 nationalities. 

Established in 1989, the school follows the British curriculum and costs parents millions to get their kids enrolled in boarding school. 

The Gachukias

Daniel and Eddah Gachukias are the powerful couple behind Riara Group of Schools. The school has a kindergarten, primary school, high school and a university. The institution started as a Kindergarten 1974.

This was followed by a primary school and Riara Springs Girls High School, both offering the 8-4-4 curriculum. They would open Riara International School, which offers the British International Curriculum, in 2015. Riara University, on the other hand, was established in 2012. 

School fees at Riara School ranges from Sh140k to Sh221k depending on the level (grade) of the student. 

Mary Okello

Born in one of Kenya’s most powerful families, Mary Okello went on to be the first woman to become a bank manager in Kenya in 1977 and the first African representative to the World Women Banking Organization in 1985. 

Together with her husband, they founded Makini School in 1978. She later quit her banking job to give the school her full attention.

Makini grew to have several schools including Makini Cambridge, Makini Ngong Road Campus, Makini Junior Academy, Statehouse Avenue Academy, Makini Junior Migosi, Makini School Kibos and Makini School Kisumu. 

In 2016, she sold a majority stake of Makini Schools to a UK based investor for over Sh1 billion. 

Lavers Family 

St Andrew’s School, Turi was founded in 1931 by Peter and Jean Lavers in 1931. The school sits on 500 acres of land. Upon its establishment, it attracted children from white settler families across Molo and its environs. Initially, 15 pupils were admitted to the school. 

In 1944, it was burnt down and rebuilt by Italian war prisoners. They began admitting Africans in the 70s before introducing IGCSE system for pupils between 13 and 18. 

Today, it is considered one of the largest international schools in East Africa. Their fees ranges from 304,000 to over 800,000 according to Business Daily. 

Terry Childs

Terry Childs is one of the founders of Braeburn Schools. Partnering with other investors, they bought the school when it was a dilapidated building with a handful of classrooms, minimal books and 20 staff members.

The institution was on a 3 acre piece of land and school fees was Sh3000. The school expanded as they bought more plots and also established a high school. Having started out in Gatanga, Murang’a county, the school currently has branches in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nanyuki and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 

Mehta Family 

Brookhouse- opened in 1981, one of the school’s founders was Piyush Mehta. It is famous for hosting the 2013 presidential debate. School fees ranges from Sh220,000 to over a million. The owners sold the school to a UK based firm called Educas with Mehta reportedly making hundreds of millions from the deal. 

Dorothy Noad 

Dorothy Noad founded Hillcrest in 1965 as a pre-school. It grew into an international primary school in 1972 and a high school was introduced in 1975. The school offers the British Curriculum from pre-primary to high school. The institution has changed owners a number of times since it’s establishment. 

It is reported the school was bought by the late Kenneth Matiba in 1974. A pulse article in 2019 reported that a Dubai based firm called GEMS Education bought the school for Sh2.6 billion. In January 2022, it was acquired by Braeburn Schools. 

Peter Karoki 

Peter Karoki founded Woodcreek School after watching his daughter’s education journey. The accountant by profession established the school on 11 acres of land he had set aside for real estate. After spending more than Sh200 million, the school began operations in January 2018. It began with nine students in January 2018 and grew to 270 by March 2021. The school offers the British education curriculum.

Here is the story of one of the best Swahili news anchors in Kenya. 

Background and Education 

The news anchor was born in Bondeni area, Nakuru county. His late father and mother were from Bondeni and Gilgil respectively. His father had three wives and his mother bore him two children, Salim and his sister. 

The journalist attended Bondeni Primary School up to class four but was unable to continue with his education due to financial constraints. He then went to live with his grandmother in Gilgil where he learnt to make and sell a number of dishes including Samosas.

Later, he moved in with his mother and step father and was enrolled in Nakuru Primary School. Owing to his age and statue, he went directly to Grade 7 rather than beginning with grade 4. Upon completing his KCPE, he scored 365 marks and was admitted at Menengai High School.

He was a disciplined student whose leadership qualities led to his appointment as a deputy head boy while he was in Form three. He was also an ardent participant in extra curricular activities thriving in drama and music festivals. He loved public speaking and went up to the national levels thanks to his skills.

One problem he faced was Mathematics, he even scored a 0% once while in Form 3. The dream to become a journalist was intensified when he got the opportunity to work with KBC eLearning while still at Menengai.

Salim scored C plus in his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. While waiting for admission to college, he worked as an untrained primary school teacher in Eldoret.

Higher Education

He studied Mass Communication at a college in Nakuru. He enrolled for a degree in the same field while he was working in Iran.

Career

Upon completing college, he worked at Ghetto radio without pay before getting his first job as a journalist in Nakuru. He worked for a radio station known as Sauti ya Mwananchi where he earned Ksh8,000 monthly. While at the station, together with his colleague, he got the chance to travel to Iran where he continued pursuing a career in Media. 

Life in Iran

He began learning Persian as it is the major language used in the country. He got the chance to polish his skills as a media journalist and even enrolled for a degree in the country. 

He loved the country, its customs and life was good except for a few instances where he experienced racism. When his first born child started school, he realized it was time to come home.

Back To Kenya

Upon returning to Kenya, he secured a job with Citizen TV in 2016.  He read the 7PM Nipashe Jumapili news which was previously read by Kanze Dena and Lulu Hassan. He did an amazing job and resigned after two years to join NTV. Rumors surrounded his resignation with some alleging he had been fired for receiving a bribe. He rubbished the claims and went on to become an editor and news anchor for the NTV 7pm Swahili news. 

Family

The ex-NTV anchor is married to Sherry and the couple is blessed with three children. He married Sherry while working for Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). He said marrying an Iranian woman was not an option since their dowry was paid in gold and their culture could hardly allow a black man to marry an Iranian woman. He visited Kenya and married Sherry and the two lived together in Iran. Two of their children were born there before they decided to come back to Kenya.

Appointment 

The journalist was named as ICT, e-Government, and public communication Chief Officer. His name was among those forwarded to the county assembly for vetting and approval.

He went on to be appointed in Musalia Mudavadi’s office as the Director of the Press Service at the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary (OPCS).

His career was short-lived when he was accused of engaging in corrupt dealings.

However, few have thought of value addition using the powerful root. Today, however, a group of students under the guidance of their lecturer have harnessed their knowledge in food and beverage to make a wine out of the root.

How it began

Ms. Linda Lutela, a lecturer at Bushiangala Technical Training Institute, had a light bulb moment after meeting a man selling Mukombero in bulk. During an interview with Nation Africa, she revealed that after this encounter she started toying with the idea of value addition by using it to make wine and juice.

After ruminating on the idea for sometime, she approached the school principal who impressed by the idea, promised to support them.

Teaming up with her food and beverage students, they brainstormed and went on a fact finding mission to determine the herb’s potential benefits and its chemical composition.

The lecturer said they wanted to create a product that will be more enjoyable for the masses rather than the traditional method of chewing. The team came up with a thorough way of making wine and juice out of the herb and their fellow students and lecturers became their first clients.

The Process

After acquiring the roots from farmers, they are sorted, cleaned then blended. The refreshing juice is made by extracting the essence of the roots before mixing it with natural sweeteners and preservatives, such as honey, ginger, garlic and lemon.

To get the wine, the mixture is allowed to ferment for a week before it is packaged. The team also produces supplements and chocolates.

The prices range from Sh500 to Sh1200 with a glass of juice going for Sh50 and the chocolate and suppleme going for Sh50 each. Their products are certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

Commercialization

While the project was her brainchild, Ms Lutela has left it in the hands of the students. Their hope is that their products are going to have a wide commercial market. They also hope to partner with farmers to ensure consistent supply. The team’s goal is to introduce the masses to a healthy drink while supporting local agriculture at the same time.

Despite the dedication, he would share his woes with a local media house decrying how he got nothing out of the career and ended up as a charcoal seller in Langas, Eldoret.

“I played football, good football, but luck was not on my side. If things had gone well, I would have become a star, even like our very own Victor Wanyama who captains Harambee Stars and plays for English Premier League Tottenham Hotspurs. But here I am, a poor man now selling charcoal,” he was quoted by The Standard

Education

After completing his primary education at Kapsoya Primary School, he joined Kakamega High School, where he played for the Ministry of Works FC.

Football Career

While in Kakamega High School, he played alongside former Harambee Stars Striker Mike Okoth, who is currently in Belgium. In an interview with The Standard, he also revealed that he was  a deskmate of Najib Balala, mining Cabinet Secretary.

He was part of the under 21 team in the 1980s and became part of the national team that played in Italy in 1986. The former footballer also led the under-21 squad to Zambia and rose to become the team captain.

He went on to play for Rivatex FC  before moving to Eldoret Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC), Eldoret with the latter employing him.

Sharing past experiences, he revealed that unlike today when footballers are paid, back then it was simply a hobby. People played because of the pride they took in their country.

However, trouble began when KCC folded and he found himself jobless and facing financial woes. The former defender blamed the former Kenya Football Federation for not offering employment opportunities to experienced players within the organization.

Married to Rachael Chepsang, the father of six (who named all his children after famous footballers), asked for help from the government, especially his former deskmate Najib Balala.

Priesthood

He was ordained a priest on November 1969 and appointed bishop of Kisumu in February 1978. When Kisumu was made an archdiocese, he became the archbishop.

During his time in the Kisumu archdiocese, he contributed greatly towards education in the region, especially advocating for girl-child education.

He is said to have pioneered numerous schools, some of which were named after him. They include: Bishop Okoth Girls School, Bishop Okoth Ojolla Secondary School, Bishop Okoth Miranga, St Francis Rang’ala Girls, St. Mary’s Lwak Girls, and St Oda Aluor Girls.

His footprints in education extended to the founding of Uzima University, which is yet to receive a charter.

Role in National Politics

During the 6th October 2017 national prayer day held at the Village of Mary National Shrine in Subukia, Nakuru County, he campaigned for peace. At the time, among other things, he pleaded with Hon. Raila Odinga and Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta to peacefully resolve the electoral stalemate that had arisen after the disputed 2017 presidential elections.

He would then later be included in the Unity Advisory Task Force Team which handled the peace agenda of the 9th March 2018 handshake of former president Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM party leader Raila Odinga. The nine-point peace agenda included: security and fight against corruption, devolution and inclusivity.

In 2022, he was part of the team tasked with shortlisting potential candidates for the Azimio la Umoja running mate position. This showed a close relationship between him and Raila Odinga which according to reports dates back to the Moi era.

In Raila Odinga’s memoir dubbed An Enigma in Kenyan politics, he described how the reverend once helped him escape from the watchful eyes of the then administration who were hellbent on his capture. The archbishop dressed him as a Catholic priest and helped him escape to Uganda where he later found a way to secure asylum in Norway.

Corruption Allegations

In a piece run by The Standard 9 years ago, he was accused of corruption, arrogance and intimidation. In the article, one priest alleged that he was transfered twice and demoted for failing to give the archbishop money meant for parish projects.

They alleged that there was rampant transfer of priests due money related issues. He apparently expected a cut from money raised by priests, even during fundraisings. It was said that some documents signed by a number of priests, brothers and the Archbishop reveal a series of scams and cover up letters sent to the catholic headquarters in Rome.

It was said that the documents had details of money sent to the Kisumu Archdiocese for the purpose of funding some projects which were reportedly non existent.

The retired archbishop dismissed the allegations saying they were baseless and questionable in the way they were sourced. He also added that he had forgiven his accusers and those behind the scheme to tarnish his name.

He had interests in various industries from aviation, horticulture, construction, property to fishing. It is reported that Singh made his billions in the real estate sector.

Here is the story of Harban ‘Amrit’ Singh as told by WoK,

Wealth and Properties

During the Moi regime, he secured huge deals from the government. He was contracted to construct Moi Girls High Schools across the country and other schools. Reportedly, he also received tenders to construct National Serials and Produce Board (NCPB) silos.

Apart from the construction tenders, he also ventured into horticultural farming. He owned the 300 acre Aquila horticulture farm in Naivasha which sold flowers.

His vast wealth included a shopping company in Kisumu and seven acres  of land in Upper Hill.  He was also reportedly linked to Airport View Villas along Mbagathi and Rehema and Chelsea Park apartments along Rhapta Road.

The late businessman was also linked to a number of prime properties within Nairobi which are home to parastatals and corporates.

He constructed View Park Towers in the Central Business District and later sold it to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Apart from being the landlord of Safaricom at their Westlands headquarters, he was also linked to Skypark Towers along Waiyaki way.

Corruption Allegations

While allegations of corruption often followed the businessman, he always managed to sail through.

He was accused of  land grabbing and inflation of costs in real estate deals with the government.

One such accusation came to light in 2022 when the Informer reported that according to a petition to NLC, the late property tycoon and billionaire was accused of grabbing the Kenya Railways land and demolished Kenya Railways senior staff housing before securing the area way back in 1999. H

e was said to have acquired the land through two proxy companies identified as Excel Enterprises Limited and Piccadilly Holding Limited. In another instance the public had also condemned his move to fence off part of the playground of Lang’ata Primary School.

Here is his story as told by WoK,

Background and Education 

He was born in 1999 as the second born in a family of four children, three boys and one girl. His father was a teacher and a strict disciplinarian. He attended several primary schools before joining high school. After failing to perform well in his KCSE in 2017, he repeated form four in 2018. 

While in high school, he participated in the science fair and made a mosquito repellant candle . He re-visited this project and it gained massive recognition and was featured on Citizen TV.

This exposed him to a lot of people and he got calls from different people including from former Tourism CS Najib Balala. He had also got employed at Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) in South C. 

Comedy 

His love for comedy had always been there even in high school but people at the time saw him as naughty rather than funny.

While in Nairobi, he interacted with a lot of comedians and this love for comedy was nurtured. He even began shooting videos and it was fellow comedian Wambilianga who gave him the name Helena and he added Senge on to the title.

He wanted something unique and true to his identity since not many were portraying aunts, he went with it. The character was inspired by watching how neighbors in his home town would interact and behave. 

He started comedy in 2020 and it was easier at the time since they were working from home and still receiving salaries. However, after fully resuming work, he realized comedy was what he wanted and quit employment. Initially, his father was not for the idea and would chastise him but he stood his ground. 

Today, he has performed in numerous ceremonies and has built a massive social media community. On YouTube, he has over 2k subscribers and more than two million views.

Miten Lodhia

Apart from being the CEO of Eldoret Hospital, Miten Lodhia is a founder of Harton Grange Academy. Located along the old Nairobi road in what was once farmhouses, the school offers the British Cambridge Curriculum. Established in September 2019, the school prides itself in offering quality education in both their junior a d senior school. 

“I remember struggling to get a good school for my son. I had the option to either transfer him to Nairobi or abroad but I decided to set up a school. Then I started getting a lot of pressure from parents to slowly expand it,” he was quoted by Business Daily. 

Norah Ferej 

Norah Ferej is a director of Greenvale, a private primary school offering the 8-4-4 curriculum. The school was started in 2006 after the director noted a gap in institutions offering quality education.

They did market research in order to determine whether people wanted an international curriculum or the 8-4-4. Since most were for the 8-4-4, that is exactly what they did.

The school has produced several learners who have shone in the national examinations. 

Christopher Khaemba 

He is the co-founder of Nova Pioneer Schools. The school has branches in both Kenya and South Africa with the Eldoret Campus having been established in 2019 and opening its doors to learners in 2020. The modern complex is said to have been established within five months in partnership with the Local Authorities Pension Trust Fund (Lap Trust). 

According to the director, the school offers the Kenya national curriculum delivered with world class teaching methods aimed at developing the character, capabilities and connection of its students as it prepares them to be leaders and innovators in the 21st century.

Flo Wanyoike 

Flo Wanyoike is the executive director of Porter House Academy. This is one of the most reputable primary schools which has for years offers the 8-4-4 curriculum. It has also evolved to keep up with the competency based curriculum. The director was a former geography teacher at Rusiga School Nairobi..

John Green 

The list of best schools would not be complete without mentioning Testimony School, one of the oldest in the region. Located in Elgon View and founded in 1981, the school was founded by John Green who had been touched by the plight of two children and decided to set up a children’s home.

This eventually grew to include a school which not only catered for the children from the home but for students from well to do backgrounds. Apart from those paying school fees, there are also learners who pursue Education for free.

The institution offers various courses from aerospace engineering, crew resource management, flight and operations dispatch to airline operations. 

Here is encouraging story as told by WoK,

Founding the school and growth 

The college was founded after he was encouraged by two interns who were impressed by his teaching abilities.

At the time, he was serving as an engineer at Wilson Airport for Wings Safaris specializing in rebuilding aircrafts. With motivation and support from his former employer and the two interns, he set up the school which initially had only two students. 

It has since grown to a reputable school which has produced hundreds of qualified graduates. It boasts of producing the first Kenyans to graduate with a BTEC higher national diploma in Aerospace Studies from Edexcel. BTEC offers a wide array of opportunities for learners who can either join employment or continue with further studies. 

“BTEC provide a practical, real-world approach to learning without sacrificing any of the essential subject theory,” Asiro said in a December 2011 interview with The Standard. 

Employment History 

Prior to founding the school, the engineer and pilot worked in various institutions. He joined the military in 1984 and gained aeronautical engineering and aviation skills by working in the Flying Training School.

After leaving the air force in 1994, he joined the University of Nairobi to pursue mechanical engineering. He got a job at Wilson Airport before joining Mang’u High School to teach aviation. After a year, he joined Makini School as a teacher and consultant. 

Wealth 

In the 2011 interview with The Standard, it was reported that the school was worth Sh100 million. In another interview with the Nation, the daily reported that he owns several houses in Nairobi.

At the time, he also revealed one of the most tumultuous moments for the school was the 2007-08 post election violence that threatened to cripple the school’s operations as most students left the school and cash flow became a problem.