By Isaac Blessings
Metropol Television is Kenya’s first 24 hours business TV channel. The TV station has become quite popular with the young and old alike keen on trying their hands in business. The one of a kind TV station is owned by Samuel Omukoko, a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and manager.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Samuel Omukoko Academic Qualification
Samuel Omukoko is a Kenyan entrepreneur born and raised in Khwisero subcounty in Kakamega County. He attended the University of Nairobi where he graduated in 1985 with a second class honors degree in mathematics and computer science.
He later enrolled for a Master’s of Science in Finance and is currently in the last stage of his PhD at the same institution.
While at the university, he was a rugby player for the university team. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Associate Chartered Institute of Bankers –UK fellow and a Fellow at Kenya institute of Bankers (FKIB).
Here is a summary of his education journey as shared on his website:
- Bsc Mathematics – University of Nairobi
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Masters of Science in Finance- University of Nairobi
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PhD last stage – University of Nairobi
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FKIB – Fellow Kenya Institute of Bankers
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Associate Chartered Institute of Bankers -UK
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CPA- Certified Public Accountant.
Career Journey
After completing his studies he got an opportunity to work at the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) as a Management trainee in 1986.
He was later absorbed as a permanent employee at the bank in 2000 as a chief examiner in strategic marketing and lending papers.
He quit after ten years of successful service at the leading lender. While at KCB he gained valuable skills such as Business strategy, financial risk, Business planning, Credit risk, portfolio management, banking and restructuring.
He also founded the Institute of Credit Management of Kenya (ICM-K) and served as the chair of the examination board from 2002 to 2004.
Business Journey
After quitting his career in the banking sector, Samuel Omukoko founded Metropol Corporations– a business information and credit Management Company.
The company is licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to provide Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) services to all banks in Kenya. The company was the pioneer of the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) in Kenya and Uganda.
He also went ahead and founded Credit Rating Agency – a company that works in collaboration with other rating agencies to rate corporates, Banks and SME in East Africa.
In 2019, the businessman launched Metropol TV Kenya – the first 24 hour business Television channel in East Africa. The TV Channel is available across all free to air networks in the country.
Summary of his entrepreneurship journey
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Founder Metropol Corporation, the pioneer Credit Reference Bureau in Kenya and Uganda
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Founder Credit Rating Agency working in collaboration with other rating agencies to rate Corporates, Banks, SME in East Africa
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Founder Metropol TV which is the 1st 24 hour Business channel in East Africa
Political Ambitions
Following his huge success in the business arena, the tycoon wanted to replicate that in the political scene. He has been at the forefront in empowering women, youth and the elderly across Kakamega county using his own resources.
He vied for the Kakamega county gubernatorial seat in the last general elections on a Maendeleo Democratic Party. He managed to garner 1,078 votes.
According to his campaign website, Samuel Omukoko vision was to work with the people of Kakamega to create socio-economic prosperity and a more cohesive society with focus on household prosperity.
His goal was to establish a Metropolis that will comprise Kakamega town, Mumias and Malava in order to compete effectively with Kisumu, Bungoma and Eldoret.
Trivia
Interestingly, in a 2016 interview the MD of Metropol said the worst decision he was almost made was joining politics.
“I almost joined politics. It was a bad idea,” he told the Standard.
