By Isaac Blessings
After the death of Billionaire Chris Kirubi in 2021, reports have now emerged of how he distributed his Ksh20 billion wealth to his family. What shocked many is that the billionaire had only left Ksh 4 million for his daughter Fiona Wambui Kirubi while leaving over 80 percent to the other two siblings.
In this article, WoK brings you the story of one Fiona Wambui Kirubi and why she was given a small share of her father’s wealth.
Who is Fiona ‘Farha’ Wambui Kirubi?
Chris Kirubi had two children with his wife -Robert Kirubi and Mary-Anne Kirubi. He however bore another daughter by the name Fiona Wambui Kirubi with one of his mistresses. Fiona Kirubi is the Co-Founder of KIMS Crowd and Kim’s Microfinance. She is a partner at Gateway Global and head of Fintech and Leadership development for Africa.
She is active with Gateway’s Conversion Factory, Digital strategy, Gender Equity, Inclusivity, Real Estate, Social Responsibility and Impact practices. She previously worked at Globaleye as an independent investment advisor where she was responsible for portfolio strategy, investment management, asset allocation and offering corporate solutions on pensions and insurance.
She is a regular speaker and serial entrepreneur having co-founded the first Islamic advisory firm in East Africa. She is currently the Chairperson for Muslim Women Tech – an NGO focused in developing technology related skills for women based in Malaysia.
She sits on several advisory boards including Datacultr – an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven risk management technology platform and two charity foundations which are Stara Rescue Centre and Talent Foundation International. She recently signed to be a regular contributor on the CSR Journal where she is expected to launch her podcast on emotional intelligence and transformation.
Fiona Kirubi’s Qualifications
She earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and an M.A in Islamic finance from ICEIF. She also has a B.B.A from the American University in Dubai and a B.A in finance and management from Richmond University in London, United Kingdom.
The Late Chris Kirubi’s Will
According to the 1996 will, Kirubi allocated his son Robert Kirubi and daughter Mary-Anne Kirubi 80 percent of his wealth while gifting his second daughter Fiona Kirubi Ksh 4 million. He also left 20 percent of his wealth to his siblings; brothers – Antony Maina and Dr. Michael Kirubi, and Sisters Elizabeth Waithera and Salome Mburu. The siblings are estimated to get Ksh 500 million each.
However, both Robert Kirubi and Mary-Anne Kirubi mutually agreed to give 9.95 percent of their shares to their half-sibling Fiona Wambui Kirubi. This means that Fiona will receive about Ksh 1.6 billion from her siblings.
What exactly did Kirubi Own?
According to the court records, the billionaire owned at least six luxurious vehicles worth around Ksh 108 million. They include Mercedes Benz Maybach worth Ksh 29 million, Bentley GT worth Ksh 28 million, Range Rover Sport worth Ksh 25.6 million, Mercedes Benz costing Ksh 16 million, Mercedes Benz ML 320 CDI worth Ksh 5 million and a Mercedes Benz CLS 350 valued at Ksh 3 million.
He also owned land worth over Ksh 3 billion in areas like Loresho (Ksh2 billion), Kwale (Ksh 111 million) and two other properties in Muthaiga and Mtwapa valued at Ksh60 million each.
The billionaire also had shares in Smart Applications International Limited worth Ksh 641 million, Two Rivers Development worth Ksh 214 million and Bayer East Africa worth Ksh 1.8 billion. In Haco Industries, he owned 4.5 million shares worth Ksh 801 million while International House Limited and Kiruma International Limited shares are worth at least Ksh 1 billion.
Other companies where he held six-figure shares include Kenya Re, Kenya Airways, Mumias Sugar Company and Diamond Trust Bank. His holdings in firms listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) are worth Ksh 3.4 billion while shares in unlisted companies are estimated to be worth Ksh 12.7 billion. It was also revealed that he had two bank accounts, one holding about Ksh 3 billion and the other with Ksh 177 million.
