Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, he noted creating a conducive and enabling business environment will be a focus area of his administration.

“We share a strong interest in the preservation of peace, prosperity and dignity for all people and the protection of our planet and its resources,” the President said.

So far, three billionaires have visited the country with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey making his footprint felt.

WoK looks at billionaires who have visited Kenya so far.

Jack Dorsey

Jack Dorsey who is the current CEO of Square founded social platform, Twitter, which he sold to Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

He also runs a company dubbed Block Inc.

Through the company, Dorsey recently invested Ksh 245 million into a Kenyan start-up, Gridless Africa which builds and operates bitcoin mining sites alongside small-scale renewable energy producers in rural Africa.

Bill Gates

American Philanthropist Bill Gates arrived in Kenya on November 15 morning ahead of his anticipated engagement with various delegations across the country.

He engaged national and county government officials over various projects he is undertaking in the country.

Gates also visited Makueni Mother and Child hospital and Kathonzweni Health Centre where he interacted with health volunteers.

He also visited the University of Nairobi (UoN) to give a talk on Innovating for Food Security and Climate Change in Africa.

Aliko Dangote

Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote was among VIPs who attended President-elect William Ruto’s inauguration at Kasarani stadium in Nairobi.

At the event, Dangote was sitting a few meters behind Chief Justice Martha Koome.

Ruto and Dangote first met in March 2014 when the then deputy president visited Dangote Cement’s Obajana plant in Kogi state in Nigeria.

Dangote in January this year topped the Forbes list of Africa’s richest people, with a Ksh 1.58 trillion net worth.

The tech-entrepreneur was spotted at Crazy Grill restaurant in Parklands, Nairobi where he enjoying for a meal.

Dorsey also took photos with staff at the joint and shared on his Twitter page.

He later met with tech enthusiasts at iHub in Kilimani where he talked on building successful fin-tech products such as Twitter and Block Inc.

Dorsey also toured the Nanyuki equator line and visited the mini-hydro power station in Kahinduini where he interacted with locals.

“Powering a rural Kenya village and securing the Bitcoin network with excess hydropower, all while lowering rates to 2000 people (500 families, $10/month to $4,” he wrote on Twitter.

His visit comes days after he invested Ksh 245 million into a Kenyan start-up, Gridless Africa, through his company Block Inc.

Gridless designs, builds and operates bitcoin mining sites alongside small-scale renewable energy producers in rural Africa where excess energy is not utilized. 

The company has spent the last several months launching pilots across Kenya in which they work with mini-grid hydro and solar generators to use their excess capacity to mine.

“We had spent years building internet connectivity infrastructure in rural and urban Africa, and realized that you cannot have a 21st-century economy without both power and connectivity together,” CEO Eric Hersman said.

He added;

“As we looked at the next problem to solve, we realized that bitcoin mining solved a major problem for renewable mini grid energy developers, in that we could be their industrial off-taker for stranded power, no matter where they were located, thereby making them more sustainable and increasing electrification across Africa.”

The NGO operates in East Africa and helps families living in extreme poverty by making unconditional cash transfers to them via mobile phone. GiveDirectly transfers funds primarily to people in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.

WoK has listed five of these billionaires below.

McKenzie Scott

MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is among the five philanthropists who have been donating fund to help out needy households in Kenya.

In addition to donations made to GiveDirectly, Ms Scott also announced that she is giving away more than USD 2.7 billion to 286 organizations, including Amref Health Africa. The funds have been used to support work across Africa, building the capacity of local health workers and health systems.

Other beneficiaries of her donation include schools, art organizations, and organizations dedicated to female empowerment, health and global poverty.

Elon Musk

Tesla Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, who has been named as the World’s richest person, also donates to GiveDirectly to help out poor people in society.

According to an article published on Forbes, the billionaires’ donations have jumped to Ksh. 35 billion since 2020. Forbes also revealed that at the height of the crypto boom in February 2021, Musk sent GiveDirectly Ksh. 1.1 million (USD10,000) worth of Dogecoin.

Sam Bankman-Fried

30-year-old crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried is also a silent donor contributing to the alleviation of the lives of poor and needy people across Kenya. For all his wealth, Bankman-Fried has stated that he intends to only keep 1% of all his earnings, and donate the rest in Bitcoin or in cash.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates, co-founder of tech giant company Microsoft has made donations of up to billions of Kenya Shillings towards different initiatives in Kenya through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Earlier this month, the Foundation announced USD 2 million in new grants for HIV/AIDS Prevention efforts in Kenya.

The foundation has also invested in tools, technologies, and market infrastructure to help smallholder farmers in Kenya improve their productivity and income.

Jack Dorsey

Former Twitter boss, Jack Dorsey often makes donations to GiveDirectly and other humanitarian organizations. Last year, Dorsey announced a USD 5 million grant in support of COVID-19 relief efforts in East Africa.

The grant was aimed to support efforts to meet critical educational needs and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on students, teachers and families living in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia.

Other than the five, other billionaires have also joined the philanthropic drive in Kenya and other African nations. They include include Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, who has donated funds of up to Ksh. 6.8 billion to GiveDirectly since 2012.

The founders of graphic design startup Canva, Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, are also contributing to this kitty which intends to expand and help more families in Kenya.