But how will the refinery be financed?

The refinery will not be funded by one bank or a single investor.

Instead, Dangote Industries will combine its own profits, borrowed money and money raised from investors to spread the cost and reduce financial risk.

The first source is cash flow.

Dangote Industries will use profits generated from its existing businesses, including cement, fertiliser, sugar and the Lagos refinery.

This means the company will use part of its own earnings instead of borrowing the entire amount.

The second source is bonds.

A bond is a way of borrowing money from investors instead of a bank.

Investors lend money to the company, and Dangote agrees to repay them with interest over a set period.

The third source is an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the Lagos refinery.

This means Dangote will sell part of the refinery to investors through the stock market.

The money raised from selling those shares will help finance the Kenya project.

Jaswant Rai did not just take over the business empire of his late father Tarlochan Rai, he came in with the strategies that his father had used to build a multibillion empire.

Tarlochan migrated to the DRC (then Zaire) at a time of political volatility and acquired valuable coffee and tea estates from Belgian settlers who disposed of the same at low prices. Acquiring strategic assets and building an efficient machinery out of them has been a long held family strategy.

In this article, we tell you why it is difficult to compete against Jaswant Rai. This is not only in business, but also in sports where Rai funded Kabras Sugar RFC and Menengai Oilers have been giving opponents a hard time on the pitch.

1). Brutal vertical integration:- In the manufacturing field, the Rai Group produces its packaging for sugar, soap and water. This gives the company a tight control over costs while shielding it from disruptions that comes with outsourcing. Ultimately, this gives them a sustained competitive edge.

2). Operational excellence – The Rai Group is far much ahead of other industries in a game where efficiency wins. Their sugar machineries for example, run faster and are able to turn this into larger volume output. This also minimises the production costs.

Even on the roads, while other industries use old tractors that consume high fuel, the Rai Group uses trucks and turbo-charged Mahindra Haul Master, Mahindra 9200 tractors that move way faster and handle larger volumes of cane.

Have you ever realised that most of the tractors used by Rai Group are 4wd hence improving on haulage efficiency during rainy seasons?

3). The strategy of supply chain control: In the sugar industry, Rai has effectively integrated the entire value chain. By supplying farmers with inputs, offering extension support and making prompt payments for delivered cane, he wins over farmer loyalty and is assured of raw materials. It is for this reason that the zoning politics have always been a hot potato in the sugar industry.

4). Circular economy and revenue diversification: Rather than disposing by-products, Rai turns the waste into wealth. Molasses is processed into ethanol while bagasse is used to generate electricity. This diversification creates new revenue streams while cushioning the business in times of poor sugar prices.

5). Logistics optimization through backhauling:- Rai’s trucks ferry palm oil from Mombasa to factories in Nakuru and are then deployed to transport finished products back to Mombasa. The trucks rarely travel empty hence reducing transport costs and creating a significant cost advantage over competitors.

6). Value proposition strategy: The Menengai bar soap has over the years been a leader in the market despite not being aggressively marketed. And there is a reason for this – Menengai entered the market with a proposition that it is multipurpose and gentle on the skin. The word in the villages, mother-to-mother believed that Menengai also cured various ailments. When I was young, I remember my mother insisting on Menengai when sending me to the supermarket – she claimed it was long lasting (haiishi haraka) and so was the case for many other women. This is the reason the bar soap commands a big share of the market.

-The Rai empire was built by the family’s patriarch, Tarlochan Singh Rai who acquired valuable assets at throwaway prices in the wake of DRC’s independence.

-But following the death of Tarlochan, there was a fierce succession war that eventually split the family. And the rift was also geographical – Jaswant Rai took over the Kenyan market while his younger brother, Sarbjit built an empire in Uganda in the name of Sarrai Group.

-In 2023, the aggressive fight to take over Mumias Sugar Company served as a microcosm of a decade long feud. It is a matter that irked President William Ruto, as the siblings’ battle stood in the way of the state’s interests. Ruto’s infamous “mambo ni matatu” remark forced Jaswant to withdraw the barrage of lawsuits that had prevented Sarrai Group from taking over Mumias Sugar.

The Rai Empire

In the wake of independence in DRC, Tarlochan Singh Rai saw an opportunity in adversity. While Belgian settlers were fleeing the country amid the political volatility, he saw an opportunity to build a generational empire.

Tarlochan migrated from India to DRC (then Zaire) and acquired distressed agricultural assets. He bought tea and coffee estates – which were valuable assets at low prices. In the 1970s, he spread tentacles into Kenya by specialising in manufacturing of tea chests for his produce. He also ventured into the lucrative sawmilling industry.

Family 

Tarlochan Singh Rai was married to Sarjij Kaur Rai with whom he sired five sons named Tejpal (deceased), Jaswant, Jasbir, Sarbjit, and Iqbal Rai and two daughters Hertej Ashwin Oza and Daljit Kaur Han. Prior to his death in 2010, Tarlochan Rai had amassed a multi-billion shilling wealth portfolio with investments in various industries and close relations with the country’s ruling administrations. Jaswant Rai was left as his father’s will executor and chairman of the Rai Group.

Brutal fight for the multibillion estate

After their father’s death, Jasbir and Iqbal Rai teamed up with their mother against their brother Jaswant who held the chairman position of the group. He was additionally named the executor of their father’s will which was written in 1999. The late Sarjij Rai and her two sons were of the opinion that the will had been written in coercion and did not represent the true picture of the patriarch wishes. Jaswant on the other hand defended his father’s will saying that it stipulated that all his eight beneficiaries would receive a rightful stake in his wealth.

Court Cases

The late Sarjij Raj and her two sons went to court to demand that her son Jaswant and the Group’s board of directors be compelled to reveal all the board minutes, asset listing, and their father’s will. This is because they believed that Jaswant had excluded some of the properties from the will leaving his siblings receiving less than they should have received.

Most of the properties alleged to have been left out of the will are foreign companies and investments in which the late Tarlochan had shares. These include Cayman Islands situated Waterloo Ltd and Stonybrook Ltd, Jersey Island-based Rai Management and Technical Services Limited, and millions of dollars in London and New Delhi banks.

The court determined that the will’s validity would first need to be established before any further action would be taken.

Sarbjit Rai vs Jaswant Rai

Meanwhile, the feud forced Sarbjit Rai to break away from the family’s empire and chose to establish the Sarrai Group in Uganda. This rift exposed the family’s dark side when Sarrai Group and the West Kenya company fought for the Mumias Sugar lease.

The Sarrai Group won the lease, but Jaswant Rai did not want to lose out on the control of this strategic asset. He filed an avalanche of suits accusing his brother’s company of lack of a track record and stripping and vandalising of Mumias assets. He also said that he had submitted a larger bid of up to Ksh 36 billion.

While Jaswant Rai had long been portrayed as a man who could influence politics and even orchestrate some form of  ‘state capture,’ this time round, he was in for a rude awakening.

President William Ruto was reportedly angered by the flood of lawsuits which had stalled the government’s interests.

In a chilling remarked, he declared: “mambo ni matatu; uhame, nikupeleke jela au usafiri mbinguni.”

Following this cold remark, and a reported abduction of Jaswant Rai, he was forced to file notices to withdraw all pending cases.

Local payments and fast transactions

Linebet lets you pay and get paid using Kenyan shillings (KES). A significant advantage is the ability to use the local payment system M-Pesa for transactions. If you wonder how to withdraw money from Linebet to M-Pesa, the system has clear steps and quick processing. Usually, payments go through fast, which is good for trust. Additionally, users can top up their balance with cryptocurrency or choose another convenient method. This choice makes the service particularly attractive.

Odds, markets, and daily promotions

Good odds and a wide variety of bets are two more fantastic aspects of Linebet. Football fans can wager on local games as well as major leagues from around the globe. Additionally, they have daily specials, bonus bets, and exclusive offers for frequent players. Good odds on popular bets and regular bonuses are nice for everyone, from beginners to pros. With all this, plus support for local sports, Linebet is a good choice for Kenyan players. Basically, Linebet is great in Kenya because it works well on phones, has reliable local payments, and has good odds, bonuses, and betting choices.

•Anshuur Hussein is a co-owner of Bluebird Aviation and revealed how they once successfully organised a secret mission to return the body of former Somalia ruler back home. Not even powerful government, or members of the security council knew that they had flown outside the country.

In January 1995, former Somalia ruler Siad Barre died while in exile in Lagos, Nigeria. But returning his body back home proved to be a significantly challenging task for the family.

Barre had ruled Somalia for over two decades before he was driven out of power in 1991. During his reign, there were reports of human rights abuses.

He initially fled to Kenya. However, pressure mounted from parliament and various human rights organisations made Barre’s stay to be short-lived. He eventually sought asylum in Nigeria where he stayed for four years before he succumbed to diabetes.

Two Kenyan pilots, Nigerian diplomats and a secret mission 

While Barre’s family sought the intervention of the Nigerian Air force to return the body home, the plan hit headwinds. They were told that the intended airstrip in Somalia had a small runway that couldn’t accommodate their military plane.

Given the Islamic traditions that require prompt interment, another plan had to be quickly devised and executed.

A Nigerian diplomat knocked on the door of Bluebird Aviation at Wilson Airport and informed the owners of the lucrative albeit risky deal. Captain Anshuur Hussein and Adan were told to secretly charter a flight to bring back the body – and not even government officials were supposed to know about it.

The risk was that the consequences would be dire if President Moi’s officials knew about it and it could lead to a diplomatic fallout.

“We knew immediately this wasn’t a normal charter…If the Kenyan authorities found out, it could have caused serious problems,” Anshuur told BBC.

However, the duo asked the diplomat to give them time to debate on it, promising feedback the following day. The mission was said to come with a generous financial reward, kind of a jackpot, though the exact figure remains under tight wraps.

Accepting the offer

The following day, the two pilots accepted the offer but on conditions that if anything went south, the Nigerian Government had to take responsibility. Additionally, they demanded to have two embassy officials on the flight.

On 11th January 1995, at around 3 am, the Beechcraft King Air B200 took off from Wilson Airport with the filed flight manifest indicating it was destined for Kisumu. When they got close to Kisumu, the pilots switched off the radar and took the direction to Entebbe, Uganda. Anshuur revealed that at the time, radar coverage across much of the region was limited, a gap the pilots knew they could exploit.

While in Entebbe, the two embassy officials were told not to disembark. The pilots told the airport officials that they had jetted from Kisumu and were on their way to Yaoundé. They refueled and resumed the journey. There was a brief stopover at Yaoundé before taking the route to Lagos.

Before entering the Nigerian air space, the pilots were advised by Nigerian government officials to use the Nigerian Air Force sign ‘WT 001′ to avoid any suspicion.

They arrived at 1 PM and met Barre’s family. Arrangements for a return trip were then organised and set for the following day. The following day, the casket was loaded on to the aircraft. Two Nigerian Government officials and six family members boarded the aircraft.

From the pilots’ perspective, secrecy was crucially important.

“At no point did we tell airport authorities in Cameroon, Uganda or Kenya that we were carrying a body,” Anshuur told BBC.

The aircraft retraced its route, stopping briefly in Yaoundé before flying to Entebbe, where it refuelled. While in Uganda, the authorities were deceived that the final destination was Kisumu in Kenya. However, the plane took the route to Garbaharey, southern Somalia.

The pilots attended the burial ceremony and returned back to Kenya. While at Wilson Airport, they said that they had returned from Mandera, giving the impression that it was a local flight.

“No-one asked questions, that’s when we knew we were safe,” Anshuur told BBC.

We caught up with him and bring you this story:-

Hello Chacha, kindly introduce yourself and talk about your background

I am Declark Chacha, a software engineer, founder, and CEO of Pamoja Nova, a platform designed to digitalize traditional funding processes in Kenya. I pursued a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering at Kisii University though I dropped out in fourth year.

What problems does your app solve? Do you have any personal experiences that inspired you to create the app?

Pamojanova was designed to modernize traditional community finance systems by making them safer, more transparent, and easier to oversee. Its aim is to enable people to save, support each other, and raise funds confidently through technology.

Pamojanova assists individuals in managing Chamas, Welfare groups, and Mchango fundraisers with ease and security. It addresses the following problems:

Transparency – Many traditional chamas rely on manual record-keeping, which can lead to confusion and disputes. Pamojanova automatically maintains all records, allowing members to view contributions, balances, and transactions at any time.

Security – Handling cash or using unverified accounts increases the risk of fraud or losing money. Pamojanova safeguards users with secure systems and requires members to undergo identity verification (KYC).

Convenience – Members can contribute without attending physical meetings by sending and receiving money through M-Pesa or Airtel Money from any location in Kenya.

Simplified management – Churches, schools, NGOs, and other groups can utilise Pamojanova to manage welfare funds, donations, and community activities more effectively.

Automated payouts – The platform handles savings rotation and payouts automatically, minimising errors and ensuring members get their money promptly.

What are the unique features of the app?

I’ll say automation. The system does everything automatically. For example, once a chama is created the system tracks, notifies and sends payouts. For welfares, once created all members see the available balance and when withdrawing money it can only be sent to a welfare member and the transaction must be approved by the officials.

How secure is your platform?

The app is approved to use safaricom to receive money from customers to my business and also approved my business to send automatically to customers. The app also uses KYC (Know Your Customer). During registration you upload your ID front and back which will be approved in within a few hours or rejected with reason. We also use 2 factor authentication, one time pins, security questions and biometrics whereby fingerprints can be set.

Finally, under chamas, the creator is advised to only allow and approve members he knows only eg members from the same bodaboda stage or people from same locality.

How does your app guarantee data security?

Customer data is robustly encrypted. Suppose a customer’s phone number is 0712345678, when encrypted, it becomes something like 8F4A9X2M7KQ1P6R. Anyone who sees the database will only see the scrambled text and won’t understand it.

Did you do it alone or are you a team?

I did it alone starting in 2024. I stalled a bit but continued in 2025.

What was the process before the app got uploaded on Play Store? Was it straightforward?

They had to confirm whether my app follows their policy and the Kenyan government’s policies. I then sent documents to prove legitimacy. After that, they waited 7 days, then asked to test the app for 14 days with not fewer than 12 testers. After 14 days, I published it, and again waited for 7 days for the Play Store to reconfirm and approve it.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

I have received recommendations fom testers, chamas, welfare and michango groups.

What is the future of your platform?

To be the leading platform in Kenya that digitalizes community funding systems and increases accountability and accessibility.

-Joan Muthui is a pharmacist who enrolled at the Lenana Institute of Beekeeping in 2024 and learnt that beeswax, the by-product that remains after extraction of honey could be used to make skincare products.

-With the help of her former lecturer, she immersed herself into deep research. Initially, her products got a thumbs down after she received feedback that it was too harsh and irritating.

*****

Joan Muthui is the brains behind Beesplash Limited, a company specialising in manufacturing organic skincare products from beeswax. From an initial disappointment to receiving daily orders, and having her products recommended by dermatologists, Joan’s journey is truly inspirational.

Here is the story as told by WoK.

Working as a pharmacist

Joan is a pharmacist and for many years, she had witnessed patients suffering from various skin ailments having to buy medications again and again. This was in the long-term expensive given the conditions took long periods to resolve.

“Anything relating to the skin is not a one-day thing. You take a drug for diarrhea and it stops (but for the) skin it is a journey – it can take a year, two years, three years. You see people becoming frustrated with unending issues,” she says.

In 2024, she enrolled for a short course at the Lenana Institute of Beekeeping and learnt that beeswax could be used to manufacture organic skincare products.

Later that year, she met her previous lecturer who was by then producing his own organic soap. The reconnection reignited Joan’s long held aspiration to take on the same path.

Receiving help from the lecturer 

Working like clockwork, they researched and  formulated lip balms, soap and moisturiser using four core ingredients: bees wax, shea butter, honey and essential oils.

She used the Mount Kenya University Thika campus laboratory for a sterile and controlled production. She then tested the initial products on her sisters and pharmacy colleagues.

She received negative feedback that the product was too harsh and irritating. With unbridled determination, she reached out to the lecturer and they worked on improving their formulation. They got it right the second time.

Licencing and commercialisation

Prior to commercialisation, she needed approvals from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board. It was a long wait but luckily she wasn’t extorted. Finally, she was able to secure the licences.

Rotary fair and having her products prescribed 

In January 2025, Joan went for a rotary fair and paid for a stand. By the end of the day, her moisturisers had earned her a cool Ksh 9600.

“What? You mean it’s working?” She recalls thinking. “I have never looked back,” she says.

One day while working in the pharmacy, she received a pregnant woman who couldn’t afford the moisturiser she needed. Joan took the opportunity to offer her product as an alternative. She asked the woman to return if it did not work.

It was good news that the patient returned confirming that the body butter had stopped the itchiness that had troubled her. She then approached various gynecologists recommending the moisturiser as something that could work for expectant mothers with skin irritation. This saw at least two dermatologists prescribe the product.

“Seeing my product on a prescription from a dermatologist made me feel so good. That is when I knew this was real,” she says.

Making more sales

Though she currently doesn’t have any export structures, she has seen her products land in South Africa, United Kingdom and United States through international rotary delegates.

Currently she manages to make at least three to five units sales a day to 30-50 units on a good day.

-Lillian Ngala is the HR Director for DTB Bank, besides running an organisation that helps widows, orphans, youths and disabled people live a dignified life.

-Her commitment to this cause is deeply personal and inspired by her own experience her mother struggling with the family’s needs following the death of her father.

Here is her story as told by WoK:

Widowed mom struggling

While in high school, Lillian Ngala’s father passed away leaving the widowed mother facing significant financial and social challenges. The mother had to relocate the family to Homa Bay where they lived in a grass-thatched house which leaked whenever it rained.

To make a living, the mom worked as a tailor and would sew uniforms for a missionary school which in turn waived the required school fees.

“The family never lacked food, but dignity was a daily struggle,” she told Daily Nation.

Helping Widows

Following her illustrious career in the corporate sector where she has steadily risen to become the HR Director at DTB Bank, Lillian extends her impact beyond the boardroom through various philanthropic initiatives.

She runs the Lillian Ngala Foundation, an NGO meant to restore dignity and empower vulnerable people in the community.

She has been able to support over 100 widows from Homa Bay get decent housing. The initiatives also extends to helping them acquire capital for various small scale ventures and training them on managing the business.

Ngala says that this has in turn helped the women build on their confidence and live decent lives.

“Poverty makes widows hide, they don’t want to be seen, but the moment you give them a decent house, they come out. They walk into the market with their heads high. The transition is everything,” she says.

Her foundation also helps with school fees bursaries for orphaned and vulnerable children. It also empowers youths noting that this is beneficial for the wider community. For persons with disabilities, she helps with removing various barriers.

Decorated corporate career

Ngala has a decorated corporate career and has been in the human resource management field for over 20 years. She joined DTB Bank in 2012 where she has risen to become the HR Director. She overseas various functions including strategy and talent initiatives.

She holds an MBA in Strategic Management from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. She is certified as a professional trainer by the Institute of Human Resource Management.

She sits in various board including the Kenya Institute of Bankers, African Human Resource Congress and the Kenyan Network Information Centre (KeNIC).

She spearheads the Lillian Ngala Network that is committed to empowering the next generation of leaders.

Awards

• Shujaa Award 2025
• Top 50 HR leaders in Africa 2022
• Top 20 women making a difference in Kenya, 2021
• Top 50 influential women in Kenya 2025

-Earl Karanja has been behind multimillion dollar deals across the globe.

-Before venturing into this field, he worked as an automotive blogger for a German magazine where he was paid handsomely and decided to incept his own venture.

*********

For more than a decade, Earl Karanja has been at his elements connecting clients across the globe to supercar suppliers in Europe. Even though it has been a treacherous path, he put in an unwavering determination and has earned multimillion in commissions.

From a humble blogger to making big moves across the globe, Karanja’s story is one of patience, resilience and learning tough lessons.

The Nakuru High School alumnus also says the industry is full of conmen and his client once lost a whooping €200000 to a scammer.

In this article, we tell of his story.

Strict parents and money lessons

Earl Karanja’s parents were teachers who were strict with education and instilled the importance of being frugal at an early age. They insisted on not wasting money and planning for it. His mother would knock at his door as early as 3 a.m to wake him up for studies.

While in high school, Karanja had already figured out that he wanted to be in the advertising industry. This is the reason he started his blog while in form three at Nakuru High School. After completing his studies, he went in for mechanical engineering but he didn’t like it. He tried telecommunication engineering too but it wasn’t particularly appealing.

He then decided to pursue International Relations, ‘just to have the papers.’

“I chose the easiest thing there is – International Relations. I could cram the whole exam the morning to the paper,” he says.

However, he opines that it is the kind of course that one needs to be well connected in order to reap from available opportunities.

“It is the kind of course which, unless you’ve really good connections, you’re going nowhere,” he says.

Studying advertisement

After completing his studies, he took a short course at Zetech University. It involved advertising, marketing and public relations. As this was something he felt it could shape his destiny, he threw himself into the task with unwavering determination.

Pushing his blog

Karanja didn’t mind a flow of sweat on his brow and  worked tirelessly to keep his website alive. He did this between 2009 and 2014 and he landed a life-changing opportunity.

A German auto magazine, GT Spirit contacted him and offered him a chance to write on their blog. He would spend almost 10 hours daily researching and posting car reviews. The magazine paid him between 300 and 700 Euros (Ksh 44k – 107k).

“It helped me get into the space of cars properly,” he says.

However, he decided to get out of the comfort zone and started car brokerage in 2015.

Making Ksh 405k from a single deal

Karanja’s masterstroke was incorporating his company in Europe. He approached a law firm that did everything for him, and it was surprisingly so easy.

“I found it so easy. I went online, found a company that does that and within a couple of days, they gave me all the necessary details I needed for any company,” he says.

When starting, it took him years before he could close a deal. He recalls helping a client, only for the deal to be closed without him earning a cent. He then figured out instilling a robust structure that would involve signing contracts which finally worked.

His first commission came from the sale of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS to an Argentine who was shipping it from Germany. He made a cool 2500 CHF (Ksh 405k). Since his first deal, it has been a boom for Karanja who then cemented his presence on Instagram with supercar reviews and advertisement.

Being conned

Karanja narrates that the industry is full of conmen. At one time, his client lost €200000 (Ksh 30 million) after they paid the said amount to a scammer. According to Karanja, the conman had branded himself as a legit supplier and even had friends who recommended him.

“We did our due diligence (but) he had masked himself properly. People who knew him said he was good, but it turns out he was just a proper con,” he says.

Karanja had vouched for the money to be deposited through an escrow but his client thought otherwise. A direct deposit to the ‘supplier’ led to the multimillion scam.

Extortion at the Kenyan port during clearance

Earl Karanja also revealed why the Kenyan market is not his favourite. According to him, getting a car to Kenya is quite easy, but the extortion before being cleared is a headache.

In case he has a Kenyan client, he normally doesn’t do the clearing. So if you want a luxurious Ferrari, he’ll get it for you but you will have to deal with clearing at the port.

Speaking to Financially Incorrect, he said the level of corruption at port, even after paying taxes and all the required levies is ‘insane or a nightmare.’

“Ask people who have tried to do this on their own – you’ve paid the taxes, you’ve done everything to just get that car out. The level of corruption involved, the number of people you have to pay – It’s a nightmare,” he said.

Starting out by supplying diesel door-to-door to businesses dealing with Kinshasa’s erratic power grid, Duncan has scaled the business into a massive operation. Jambo Energy now employs over 70 people and manages fuel storage capacity of 1.4 million litres across the impressive portfolio of customers.

And the future is promising; he is actively expanding his fleet of trucks and river barges to dominate the Congo River transport corridor.

In this exclusive sit-down with WoK, Duncan opens up about his journey from a corporate employee to a sole proprietor, how he navigates the challenges of the Congolese market, and why he believes the youth should focus on mastering their craft rather than chasing quick money.

Hello Duncan, thank you for granting us this opportunity. To begin with, kindly introduce yourself and what you do.

My name is Duncan Mitunda Mogire.  I am currently the CEO and founder of Jambo Energy SARL, based in Kinshasa but we have another office in Lubumbashi. We specialize in wholesaling of petroleum products in the DRC.

Are you able to shed some light about your background? 

I was born in the year 1985 in Kisii. I went to Primary School in Nairobi and later Joined Kisii School for secondary education where I served as the school captain. I am a graduate from the University of Nairobi and Frankfurt School of Management. For my undergraduate I studied Bachelor of Commerce and for my Executive MBA I studied Finance and Management.

Many Kenyans may be afraid of venturing into DRC. When was your first time travelling there and how did you get to know of the opportunity? Was it easy settling down?

DRC is a big market and the Kenyan business community should not be afraid to explore the available opportunities. DRC is now in the EAC. What many people don’t know is that DRC has 3 different time zones and as such we can classify DRC to be in different regions of Africa within the same country; Eastern Africa, Southern Africa and Western Africa. Most of the war and instability is in the conflict mineral areas of DRC i.e North Kivu and South Kivu.

Though I have worked in the oil industry since 2009, I first came to DRC in 2015 through Dalbit Group. Initially,  I experienced cultural shocks and language barrier but with time you get used to the broken Swahili plus Lingala is easy to learn being a Bantu language. In Dalbit Group, I was appointed to head the sales and marketing department at their Lubumbashi branch located in the Southern part. I was tasked primarily to open up fuel sales to the mining companies around the Copper Belt region in Lubumbashi. I quit in 2023 to start Jambo Energy in Kinshasa.

Talking about Jambo Energy, how did you start off?

I started Jambo Energy in 2023 in Kinshasa after quitting employment. We started off by distributing fuel using mobile bowsers to supermarkets and residential houses and offices. Kinshasa has an erratic electricity supply hence all buildings and establishments run on diesel generators.We saw the gap and took advantage and we provided our customers with diesel in a very organised and  professional way.

I am sure a lot of Kenyans would want to know about how you got the capital and how much was it if you don’t mind sharing?

I will say that necessity is the mother of invention. I started small with my own savings and over time developed good relationships with our suppliers and the banks. It is difficult to scale up your business without support from either your supplier or the bank.

Do you have other partners?

I am the sole proprietor. I don’t like partnerships because they might slow your growth especially when you are starting from the bottom.

What were the requirements you had to have before inception of your business considering you are from Kenya?

Business registration process in DRC is quite straight forward and it takes less than 5 days if you have all the documents. The main document being the establishment visa.

Do you then mean starting a business in DRC is quite easier than in Kenya? On this, do you think Kenya has something to learn from DRC?

Starting a business in DRC is pretty simpler compared to Kenya due to less bureaucracies – the documentation required and the time to have the company opened.I think Kenya being an economic power house should streamline this process.

A lot of businesses face tough hurdles in the first couple of months or years. What challenges did you face and how did you manage?

Of course all businesses face challenges initially especially on working capital. I personally faced working capital challenges but over time I addressed that by developing good relationship with banks and suppliers. Another challenge is competition – once we succeeded in the venture of door to door delivery to businesses and households, we attracted more competition in the segment leading to reduced opportunities due to scrambling and price wars. Eventually we had to scale up and move to another way of doing the business.

What are your achievements and how many people have you employed?

We employ more than 70 people. At the moment we have scaled up our operations and we have over 20 active customers spread across all segments of the economy. Our value driver is the unique way in which we solve the client needs by installing tanks and pumps at their sites. This has enabled us sign exclusive supply contracts with all our customers. In total we are having approximately 1,450,000 litres in terms of storage across all our customers.

We also have our logistics arm that transports bulk fuel between the port of Matadi and Kinshasa. We are recognised as a major player in the logistics of bulk fuel owing to the impressive fleet we operate.We emphasize on professionalism hence we are a force to reckon with.

We have another arm of our business that does logistics of fuel through the river channel of Congo River. We transport bulk fuel using barges to our customers along the channel.

We also do fabrication of storage tanks which we distribute to our customers sites for storage of products. In some sites like the biggest agricultural enterprise in the whole DRC which deals with palm oil planting and production, we offer both tank farm management and consignment stocking.

Earlier on you talked about being a school captain, do you think the leadership experience you had has helped you in management? And how would you describe your style of management?

My stint in leadership in both high school and university have been crucial especially when you need to stay firm, disciplined and focused amid chaos.

My management styles is anchored on result-oriented management. For a team to achieve specific results for the company, they have to be aware forehand and should at least have the required skills to achieve a given task in whichever department. I give opportunities to all employees to showcase their skills freely provided they are focused on the company goals and targets.

How is your typical day like?

I start my day at 6 am in the office to review all the reports from different departments. I have different face to face meetings on different days of the week.

Most of the day is spent outside the office meeting clients in the field and visiting our yard and garage. I am not an office kind of person.

What is one thing you’re grateful for?

I am always grateful for the opportunity granted to me by my previous employers because without them I would not have known this part of DRC let alone learning how the global fuel market operates. The experience has enabled me navigate smoothly in my entrepreneurship journey.

What is your word of encouragement to young people who would wish to become entrepreneurs? What are the important attributes that they should have?

Entrepreneurship is not an easy journey if you lack resilience, discipline and focus. Young people should venture into businesses that they really have in-depth understanding about. Many youths get into business with an aim of making quick money or they venture into businesses that are perceived to make quick money but I say – master your art and money will flow.

What is the future of Jambo?

In the short term, we plan to consolidate our wins within DRC by nurturing a formidable team that will enable us move to the next level of the business which is bulk importation of fuel through the main supply corridors i.e Matadi port, Beira Port and Dar Es Salaam. We further plan to beef up our fleet with more trucks for long hauling of bulk product. In a few years we should dominate the logistics space. As per the river channel logistic by barges, we will in mid 2027 acquire a barge of a capacity of 1,000,000 Litres and this will stamp our authority as the King of River Congo for transport of bulk fuel. Southern DRC remains a strategic market for us as we seek to take up more volume from the mining companies in the copper belt region.