Chris Kirubi met his death on 14th June 2021 (1941-2021). At the time of death, the billionaire was 80 years old.
“Death is rest. A rest from daily hustles. This is something irreversible. You’re born, you grow, you die. In the end, it doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter the age or what you do to try and elongate your life. But at the end nobody wants to die,” the late businessman told Business Daily in a 2020 interview.
For most Kenyans the name Chris Kirubi was associated with wealth, power and flamboyance. The business conglomerate was one of the richest men in Kenya with a vast property and investments in almost all sectors. In 2011, Forbes ranked him the second richest man in Kenya and 31st in Africa.
Background
Chris grew up in a poor background and lost his parents while he was still a young man. Therefore, he was determined to succeed and worked extremely hard to achieve success .
Career
Nearly everyone knew Chris as a rich man with investments spread out in manufacturing, real estate, media and insurance among others. He was the director and the majority shareholder of Centum investments.
In the 60s and 70s, he worked at a government owned transportation company named Kenatco as an administrator.
In the early 70s, he began investing in the real estate industry. He would buy run down buildings, renovate them and sell them at a profit. He also bought several lands and invested in commercial properties.
The mogul then spread out his investments to several other sectors and accumulated a wide array of properties. He owned
- 100% of Haco industries limited, one of the largest household goods manufacturer.
- 100% shares in Capital FM, a large radio station based in Nairobi.
- Shares in Kenya Commercial Bank and Nation Media Group.
Family
He divorced his wife in the 90s and was blessed with two children, a son and a daughter. His son, Robert Kirubi, works in Brussels, Belgium and doubles up as a global leader. His daughter is named Maryanne Wambui Musangi and she prefers to live her life out of the limelight. Maryanne is a business woman said to own aContinental hotel in Nairobi. She is also the Managing Director of Haco Ltd.
Cancer journey and death
The businessman battled cancer for quite some time. Like most people, he found out he had cancer by chancel. He began running a very high fever and called his private doctor who came accompanied by a pathologist. They rushed him to the hospital and several tests were done.
“I’m told my eyes were yellow and my fever was shooting through the roof. From there, it was a series of tests for the next few days as they observed my situation,” he said.
Later, he was diagnosed with stage two cancer that was affecting his internal organs including the kidney and lungs.
In 2019, he stated how important it is for Kenyans to undergo cancer screening. He later stated that being sick made him closer to God and he discovered that no matter how many friends you have or how they love you in the end you battle sickness alone.
On Monday 14th June 2021, his family confirmed that the businessman had died.
