Kenya is home to some of the wealthiest individuals in the African continent. A report by Knight Frank in 2018 disclosed; out of the 125 Kenyans who are worth over Ksh 3 billion, only 23 of them are women.
These women have managed to excel in various sectors of the economy. In this article, WoK takes a look at some of Kenya’s richest women and the schools they attended.
Jane Wanjiru Michuki
She is the largest female stakeholder at the Nairobi Stock Exchange and in 2014 her wealth was estimated at US$50 million.
Wanjiru began her career as a lawyer and founded Kimani and Michuki Advocates, a firm that has represented some of the biggest holdings in the country including Equity bank. As of 2018, her 9.5 per cent stake in Britam was reported to be worth Ksh5.4 billion. She owns the stake through an investment vehicle where she has a 44.4 per cent stake.
Wanjiru holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi.
She proceeded to the Kenya School of Law where she obtained a postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice. She then went to the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights where she attained her Certificate in Human Rights and International Instruments.
Afterwards, Wanjiru went to the University of Warwick where she got a Masters in Law (LLM).
Tabitha Karanja
Tabitha is a strong-willed woman behind Keroche Breweries, a successful alcoholic beverages manufacturer and supplier.
The Keroche CEO studied at Bahati Girls Secondary School.
She passed her high school examinations and proceeded to join the University of Nairobi where she pursued a degree in Business Administration.
In 1997, she met her husband and started a fortified wine company which went out of the market due to punitive taxes introduced by the government.
She instead began making ready to drink gin and vodka which are on the market to date. Her wealth is estimated at Ksh5.5 billion.
Dr Catherine Nyongesa
She saw an opportunity, took a very huge risk, and it paid off big time. She is the first female radiation oncologist in Kenya and is the current Chief Executive Officer of Texas Cancer Center in Nairobi.
She attended Misikhu Girls Secondary School, and after performing well in her exams, was selected to study medicine at the University of Nairobi.
Dr Nyongesa graduated in 1995 and worked in several hospitals until 2002 when she left the Country.
She left for South Africa, where she pursued a Masters in Oncology from the University of Witwatersrand and graduated in 2006.
Mary Okello
Mary Okello was the first African woman to become a branch manager at Barclays Bank way back in 1977. She founded Makini group of schools alongside her late husband under the name Riara Gardens Academy. The school which started with only eight children grew in terms of numbers, facilities and outlets.
In April 2018, she sold a 71% stake of Makini group of Schools to a South African company with interest in education at more than 1 billion Shillings.
Okello was among 13 girls sponsored by the government to start her A levels at Alliance Girls’ High School.
After completing high school, Okello proceeded to the Kenya Prisons where she trained and worked briefly as a cadet, acquiring a great skill in the handling of firearms.
Thereafter, she joined Makerere University to study for a Bachelor’s degree in history.
Zipporah Gathuya
Zipporah Gathuya is not a famous name among many Kenyans. She is a Kenyan consultant anesthesiologist, whose sub-specialty is pediatric anesthesia. In 2017, Zipporah was among the list released by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) of High Net worth individuals with an annual income of up to Ksh 1 billion. Apart from her career in the medical field, she is among the owners of top hotels and lodges such as Tribe Hotel, Sankara, Ol Pejeta Ranch and Ashnil. She is also a board member at Suntra Investment Bank as well as a farmer. Gathuya attended the University of Nairobi where she graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MNChB) degree. She later enrolled for a short course in pediatric anesthesia at the Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She later went to South Africa where she graduated with a Master of Medicine (MMed) degree in Anesthesiology.
