Kisumu is the third largest city in Kenya after Nairobi and Mombasa. Located next to the shores of Lake Victoria – the largest freshwater lake in Africa, the city is reputed as one the cleanest city in Kenya. Over the years, Kisumu has made great strides in as far as infrastructure and development projects are concerned. One Kentons Square Building is among the new buildings changing the skyline of the city.
In this article, WoK takes a look at the owner behind the most stylish building in Kisumu.
Background
One Kentons Square is a stylish building situated at the heart of Kisumu Central Business District (CBD) along Oginga Odinga street. The building exudes class and has set the bar high in terms of infrastructural projects in the city. It is fully equipped with a stand-by backup generator, fibre connection, ample parking and tight security. The nine floor building was constructed in 2018 with Innovative Planning & Design consultants as the lead architects, Tower Cost Consultants Limited as Quantity Surveyor, Wadia Construction Company Limited and Map engineer as Gamma Delta East Africa.
The 10 storey block comprises 9 constant floors of office space with multifunctional areas. The first two floors host retail shops, restaurants and Kenton’s administration office premises. The 5th floor has meeting rooms and exhibition halls which can be booked by companies and organizations.
The building is home to different brands including banks such as NCBA and Stanbic Bank. In 2021 during the Kisumu Christmas street party hosted by Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o and attended by ODM leader Raila Odinga, One Kentons Square was awarded as the best designed building in the city. It was credited for changing Kisumu skyline and giving the city a new look.
The Owners
The imposing One Kentons Square is owned by Kentons Limited which was founded in 1978 by Dr Ashok K. Shah. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the prestigious University of London. After completing his studies, he worked for four years with Boots the Chemists – a leading retail pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom. He first worked as a management trainee intern and rose to become a branch manager.
In 1978 he returned back to the country and moved back to his birthplace in Kisumu to establish a retail pharmacy under the brand name Kentons Chemist. He would then transform it into Kentons Limited and today, it boasts over 40 years of experience, 5,000 products in stock, a world class distribution centre and an excellent distribution network. As a wholesaler, Kentons Pharmaceutical Distributors receive over 100 million units from pharmaceutical manufacturers which are picked, packed and distributed to clinics, hospitals and pharmacies across Kenya. The company has been voted in the KPMG Top 100 three times in a row – in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
Leadership of Kentons Limited
Kentons Limited remains a family business and remains under the solid leadership of Shah Family. They include Dr Ashok K. Shah who is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer , Vishaal Ashok Shah who serves as the Director and Neel Ashok Shah who also serves as a Director.
