A report by Knight Frank revealed that there are over 125 billionaires in Kenya.
The survey noted that out of the multi-millionaires, 25 were women. Some of the wealthiest women achieved their success via hard work, while others inherited and grew multibillion-shilling family enterprises. Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner 😉 Who are the richest women from Mt Kenya?
1. Mama Ngina Kenyattta
The wealthiest woman in Kenya is Mama Ngina Kenyatta, the former first lady and mother of retired president Uhuru Kenyatta. According to the BBC, she was listed as one of the 55 African dollar billionaires by Nigeria-based Ventures financial magazine. Mama Ngina has made investments in almost every sector of the economy, including banking, real estate, and hotels. The matriarch of the Kenyatta family is in charge of the Heritage Group of Hotels, Media Max Ltd., and Brookside Dairy. She also owns shares in NCBA PLC valued at more than KSh 6.6 billion, Timsale Holdings, and Beta Health Care. A 2017 CIA report indicated that she owns three sisal fields close to the Tanzanian border, as well as two tea estates in Matu and Mangu. According to the report, she is the owner of over 115,000 hectares (284,000 acres), including a property in Kiambu county that is 13,000 hectares (32,000 acres). Business Daily reported that her net worth is estimated at $1 billion (KSh 129.5 billion).
2. Jane Wanjiru Michuki
The founder and managing partner of Kimani and Michuki Advocates, Jane Michuki, owns shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) valued at more than KSh 5 billion. Jane Wanjiru Michuki is a lawyer and businesswoman.She owns a 9.5% stake in Britam Insurance, which is worth more than KSh 4.5 billion. Wanjiru graduated from the University of Nairobi (UoN) with a bachelor of laws. From the University of Warwick in England, she earned a master’s degree in law.
3. Jane Wangui Njuguna
Every successful man has a woman behind him, so the saying goes. James Mwangi, the managing director of Equity Group Holdings, is married to Jane Wangui Njuguna. According to People Daily, Njuguna owns 1.62% of the lender, which is worth more than KSh 3 billion.
She and Peter Munga, the founder of Equity Group, are also co-owners of the investment firm Filimbi Ltd. Njuguna also owns stock in Britam, an insurance company.
4. Leah Wanjiku Muguku
Leah Wanjiku Muguku is Nelson Muguku’s widow. She quit teaching in 1963 to run the Muguku Poultry farm with her husband. This came after a white veterinarian sold the 22-acre farm to Muguku for KSh 100,000. He established a hatchery with a 9,000-egg incubator with her spouse. They secured a contract to provide eggs to the State House in Kenya, which was occupied at the time by the country’s first president, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. Since then, the farm has grown into a multi-million shilling business that can produce 500,000 chicks per day. It also has an orchard and dairy cows. Wanjiku was designated as her husband’s estate administrator upon his death in 2010.
She owns 0.9% of Equity, which is worth around KSh 1.6 billion. Wanjiku is also the owner of the state-of-the-art Waterfront Mall in Karen, Nairobi county, valued at KSh 3 billion.
5. Esther Muchemi
After Safaricom launched its mobile money service, Kenyan IT entrepreneur Esther Muchemi became the country’s first M-Pesa agent. The businesswoman is the founder and CEO of the Samchi Group of Companies, which is made up of more than 10 companies. Heavenly Wings, Samchi Digital, Mergut Telcoms Ltd., Samchi Telecom, Samchi Credit, and After 40 Hotel are some of the firms that fall under the Samchi arm.
by Japhet Ruto
