Kenyan billionaires have invested in various industries. Below is a list of the top industries that are dominated by Kenyan billionaires and other wealthy individuals;
Media
For decades, mainstream media made billions from advertisements until the entry of alternative media that saw their profits dip. While it has since evolved with online media taking over, there are still many billionaires who have benefitted from investing in Media.
One such person is SK Macharia whose Royal Media Services has for years been the biggest media house in the country. Incorporated in 1990, Royal Media Services is a household name with channels like Citizen TV and Radio Citizen attracting viewers from across the country.
Other people who successfully invested in Media include: The Moi Family with the Standard Media Group, Rose Kimotho who founded K24 and Kameme FM before selling to the Kenyatta family who are in charge of Mediamax Limited and the late Chris Kirubi who founded Capital FM.
Catherine Nyongesa
Catherine Nyongesa is the founder of Texas Cancer Center. She holds the title of Kenya’s first female oncologist. A determined woman, she worked hard in her academics and did not let her poverty-stricken background prevent her from accomplishing her dream.
Founded in 2010, the hospital offers laboratory and diagnostic procedures, cancer screening, prevention, treatment services and palliative care. They do chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The other businesspeople who have successfully opened healthcare businesses include: Dr. Swarup Mishra with Mediheal Hospitals, Erick Ruto of Reale Hospital, Dr. L. K. Lelei of St. Luke’s Orthopedic and Trauma Hospital, Samuel Maina Thenya of Nairobi Women’s Hospital, Jayesh Saini of Bliss GVS and Daniel and Betty Gikonyo of Karen Hospital.
Fast Moving Consumer Goods
Fast Moving Consumer goods include: beverages, milk, packaged foods, dry foods, toilet paper, edible oils, detergent and soap. One of the biggest manufacturers of fast Moving Consumer goods in East Africa is Bidco Africa founded By Bhimji Depar Shah. They produce different products under different names including:
- Edible oils like, Ufuta, Golden Fry, Kimbo, Cowboy, Elianto, Sungold, Chipo, Chipsy and Bahari Fry
- Soaps and detergents including; White Star, Nuru, Msafi, Tiger and Gentle Care
- Instant noodles
- Sun top juices
- Planet sodas
- Mariandazi Baking powder
- Margarine: Gold band
Other wealthy individuals who are in the production of fast Moving goods include: The Kenyatta family who own Brookside, one of the biggest milk brands and Manu Chandaria whose company makes female hygiene products, tissues and serviettes among other products.
Tours and Travels
The booming tourism industry in the country has made several people wealthy. However, the most known people in the game are: Simon and Sara Kabu.
The former tout and his wife have built a leading tour company, Bonfire Adventures. They made traveling interesting and showed that even Kenyans can travel in their own country. In the past, it was reported that the company makes over a billion in annual turnover.
Baloobhai Patel is yet another billionaire whose investments include Transworld Safaris Limited which has been in the game for decades.
Education
Several billionaires who have invested in the education sector include:
- Peter Munga. He is the founder and former chairman of one of Kenya’s largest bank, Equity. The businessman is also the founder of Pioneer Group of Schools
- Mary Okello. She founded Makini Group of Schools and later sold it in a deal estimated to have cost more than Sh1 billion
- The late Lizzie Wanyoike is renowned for founding the Nairobi Institute of Business Studies (NIBS) . She is also the founder of Lizzie Wanyoike Preparatory School
- Daniel and Eddah Gachukia are the founders of Riara Group of Schools which encompasses Riara University.
- Chris Khaemba is a former teacher who co-founded Nova Pioneer.
- The Kenyatta family own Peponi School, international day and boarding school
- The Moi family who own Moi High School, Kabarak and Kabarak University
- Simon Gicharu is the owner of Mount Kenya University.
Construction Industry
This is a wide industry offering clients different arrays and products
Hasu Patel is the philanthropic owner of Mombasa cement. His company is one of the largest, technologically advanced and environmentally friendly cement producers.
Its plant size measures more than 1500 acres and has the annual capacity of producing about 1.8 million metric tonnes of cement and 1 million metric tonnes of clinker. In the past, he poured hundreds of millions into a Coast dumpsite and transformed it into an eye catching park.
Billionaire Narendra Naval is the founder of Simba Cement which was incorporated in 2010. The founder of Devki group also produces aluminium and steel. He also brought ARM in 2019.
Benson Sande Ndeta also owns significant shares in Savannah Cement, a company worth billions of Kenyan Shillings.
Manu Chandaria is the founder of Safal group which owns Mabati Rolling Mills, a leading iron sheets and roofing provider in the country.
Other key players in the industry include: Muthokinju Paints which was founded by Susan Muthoni Kimani and Barnabas Njuguna, and Basco paints owned by Bipin Shah.
Banking and Financial Industry
Several people have made a fortune by either founding or buying shares in financial institutions.
Peter Munga made a fortune as the founder and former chairman of Equity. Titus K Muya is the founder of Family bank who has also reaped benefits from the success of the institution.
The Kenyatta family owned huge stakes in the National Commercial bank of Africa (NCBA) before being overtaken by the Ndegwa family after acquiring additional 31.6 million shares valued at over a billion Kenyan Shillings.
Other people who own significant shares in financial and insurance companies include: Jimnah Mbaru (Dry & Blair Investment Bank), Philip Ndegwa (Insurance Company of East Africa), James Mwangi (Equity Bank) and the late Charles Njonjo (Alico Insurance, CFC Stanbic Bank, Barclays Bank Kenya)
Hospitality Industry
Just like the tourism industry, the hospitality industry in the country is booming with several businessmen and billionaires investing heavily in it.
President William Ruto owns the Weston Hotel in Nairobi and Dolphin Hotel in Mombasa.
The Kenyatta family is said to own the Heritage brand with hotels including : The Great Rift Valley Lodge, Mara Explorer Camp, Kipungani Explorer in Lamu Island, Voyager Resort in Mombasa and Voyager Ziwani Camp in Tsavo.
The Moi family is said to own the Lord Erroll Hotel which according to reports was acquired in 2013.
Adil Popat is the founder of Simba Corp Hospitality, which manages the Olare Mara Kempinski in the Maasai Mara game reserve and Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi. His daughters, who are a part of the company, are behind Nairobi Street Kitchen.
Martin Dunford is the owner of Tamarind Group whose portfolio include: Carnivore Restaurant and Tamarind Tree.
Chris Musau owns 680 Hotel which he bought in 2022.
Several Kenyans also own resorts and clubs, such as Ann Waiguru and Ababu Nameamba.
Real Estate
The list of billionaires who have invested in real estate is endless but below are a few individuals who are known players in the industry:
The Moi family are said to own Sielei Properties Ltd, Chester House, Mugoya construction, Regent Management (believed to be about 200 houses), Paradise Holdings, Homestead Enterprises , Gateway Properties and Courtyard Property Investment. The family also owns homes in Lavington House, Karen Residence, Nakuru Residence
The late Chris Kirubi was into real estate and invested in several projects with his subsidiary, Centum Investments.
Gerald Gikonyo and other boys from Rwathia bought several plots in Downtown Nairobi. He was the owner of the building where the popular Sabina Joy Nightclub was established.
George Wachiuri is the founder of Optiven, a leading real estate company in the country.
Transportation Industry
The transportation Industry is a key player in the country’s economy with dozens investing in the industry. There are several people who own both long distance and short distance travel buses and vans and are making a fortune from the industry.
Lazarus Thuo is reported to be the owner of Greenline Safaris, a fleet of long distance travel buses.
Abdulraham Abdulaziz owns Dreamline buses which ply different routes including: from Nairobi to Mombasa, Nairobi to Kampala, Malindi to Nairobi, and Mombasa to Kisumu.
Azym Dossa is the Founder and Managing Director of Kenya’s Easy Coach.
