Kenya is home to some of the wealthiest me on the continent and a majority, are well known to the general public. However, a certain percentage of Kenya’s rich fly under the radar despite their massive wealth.
As hard as it may be to be a billionaire and stay away from the limelight, a section of them has managed to strike the perfect balance between growing wealth and keeping it low-key.
Some of them, have been so good at it that, very few or none of their images appear in random searches.
NairobiLeo.co.ke looks at some of the richest men in the country that are little known to many.
John Kibunga Kimani
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The billionaire has made a name for himself as one of the wealthiest investors in the country’s money market.
Kimani, a former civil servant, is one of the most prominent investors in the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), with a portfolio well worth over Ksh3 billion at the Nairobi bourse.
He holds over 4.2 million shares in listed agricultural company Kakuzi worth over Ksh2 billion. He also owns an estimated 1.8 percent of media conglomerate Nation Media Group (NMG) with over 2.1 million shares.
Dr John Kibunga Kimani
Kimani also owns shares in telecommunications giant Safaricom and a further 2.7 million shares in East African Breweries Limited (EABL).
In 2018, he made Ksh80,000,000 after selling more than 3 million shares he held in oil marketing company Total Kenya.
Kimani is actively involved in agricultural consultancy and has vast interests cutting across various sectors of the economy including transport, construction and logistics.
Abdulkadir Gedi
The billionaire has a majority of his interests in the construction sector. He is estimated at a net worth of Ksh8.7 billion.
He generated his wealth from one of the largest companies in the country, Athi River Mining. The cement manufacturer accounted to about 2.6 million metric tonnes of cement in Kenya as of 2014, with operations in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
Some of the products produced at ARM include cement, fertilizers, quicklime, hydrated lime, sodium silicate and other industrial minerals.
The company ran into financial troubles in 2019, leading to its delisting from NSE.
Kanaksinh Babla
Babla is among the most reclusive billionaires in the country. Little of him is known to the public save for his philanthropic work.
He is one of the largest donors at the Lions Club Kenya.
Babla is one of the silent billionaires at the NSE. He owns about 6.2 million shares in EABL and a further 29 million shares in lender Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) worth about Ksh2.5 billion.
Peter Muthoka
Muthoka boasts vast networks, experience, wealth, and education and is revered by many as an astute businessman and investor.
File Image of Peter Muthoka
He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Acceler Global Logistics, one of Kenya's largest freight and logistics companies.
The investor’s shares in publicly listed Kenyan companies alone are estimated to be worth over Ksh4.5 billion.
Recently, Mr. Muthoka has been spotted with top politicians in the country with reports indicating he is among the financiers of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
Pius Ngugi
He is the founder and owner of Kenya Nut Company which he founded in 1974. He estimated at a net worth of Ksh3.5 billion with his major interests being in agriculture and food processing.
According to local reports, Kenya Nut Company is the largest exporter of Macadamia nuts in Kenya and employs over 2,500 people.
File Image of Pius Ngugi
In 2016, Ngugi raked in Ksh6 billion in revenue from macadamia exports.
He also owns Thika Coffee Mills, Kenya Alliance Insurance. Ngugi has other interests in Amazon Motors, dairy farming, wines, and manufacturing of sweets.
Amin Nanji Juma
The billionaire is one of the wealthiest investors at the NSE. A report by Daily Nation revealed that he owns about 15,686,175 million shares in NMG.
Juma’s shares are reported to be worth over Ksh3.5 billion. Those who know his investment strategy say he focuses on publicly quoted equities as his key asset. He is reported to be one of the largest stake holders at NMG at 8.1 per cent.
In 2013, he was paid Ksh130 million for his shares in NMG and Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) where he held 2 million shares.
Paul Wanderi Ndung’u
He maintained an under-the-radar profile until his role as Chairman of Pevans East Africa, which owns betting firm Sportpesa exposed him to the public eye.
However, in February 2021, businessman Ndung’u was removed from the boards of the international businesses of gaming firm SportPesa.
Ndung’u is also among the largest shareholders in listed entities like Kenya Airways, Housing Finance, Olympia Capital, and also had interests in a number of other listed companies.
His investment portfolio ranges from forex bureaus, mobile phone dealerships, construction equipment, and investment firms.
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