Top 10 Young Entrepreneurs in Kenya
Young entrepreneurs are changing the face of Kenya. This is a comprehensive list of top 10 rich, successful young entrepreneurs in Kenya who are making the most dramatic impact across the country.
Cut across Real Estate, Financial Services, Manufacturing, Tech, Green tech and Agriculture, this young entrepreneurs, disruptors and innovators featured on this list are impatient to change Kenya. Together, they represent the entrepreneurial, innovative and intellectual best of their generation.
This young Kenyans are solving problems like healthcare and electricity shortages, proffering innovative solutions to waste management, building virtual and physical communities and creating lots of jobs. A few of them are manufacturing the foods we love, and some are developing some cool apps for mobile phones across Kenya.
Of course, this list is by no means official or exhaustive, but this is the closest you’ll get to a definitive list.
How To Be Successful In Kenya
- Do something different
- Learn as you go
- If you can’t afford it, improvise
- You don’t need millions to start
- Know the rules – then break them
- Set your price at your value
- Manage your books and save
- Even in a family business, separate business from family
Youngest Kenyan Billionaire
Jared Otieno: He stunned social media when photos of his Sh15million pre-wedding party, complete with off-road gas guzzlers hired for his friends. His wife’s family members landed in choppers. Before the dust had settled, he splashedSh30 million on a Porsche Cayenne. Described as witty and aggressive, he is known to throw lavish bashes where single malts and cognac? ow freely. Well, he is a young successful businessman who works hard and plays hard.
Steve Mbogo: He is the leader of the new Party Of National Alliance (Pona). The ? ashy teetotaler is easy to spot with his fancy stylish wear, complimented by his pricey bling. He is known to slash tens of thousands on his loyal wingmen who have been often spotted addressing him down on one knee fondly referring to him as ‘Mr. President’. Steve’s love for high-end tour destinations globally is his guilty pleasure which costs him millions effortlessly. He has now declared his interest to run for presidency come 2017.
Sadat Muhindi: This year alone, Sadat Muhindi, the CEO of Maliza Umaskini has spent over Sh100,000 on a single upcoming artiste, Papa Dennis both in video projects and international travels, that being just one of his little hobbies. Sadat is ? the wealthy and has investments in South Africa and Europe. He stinks cash and wherever he goes, everyone keeps their wallets away, for he brings life to the party.
Jemo Keroche: He is the son to the CEO of Keroche BreweriesTabitha Karanja. Jemo is described as outgoing and his love for fast bikes is clear. He is philanthropic and occasionally splashes hundreds of thousands of entertaining friends in his entourage.
Jaguar: He is the most philanthropic artiste in the showbiz industry and he is known for his love for charity especially in youth and women related projects. He is a personal friend to the president and well…even mighty politicians seek him for ? financial assistance and advice. Jaguar has made it in showbiz, he is about to make it in politics.
Dan Sonko Rogena: Sonko Rogena as he is referred to by his close associates controls a mega transport empire that runs across East and Central Africa. Easily recognized by his trademark? ashy gold chains and rings and golden pool cue stick, Rogena is a darling to his loyal followers and fans and he is the darling of partygoers as he splashes tens of thousands wherever he goes to party. He is known to ferry celebrities and close associates under his ‘Usiku Sacco’ out?t in private choppers and guarded convoys in all expenses paid business trips.
Don Matino Kiarie aka KRG: He traded his football career in the Norwegian league before shifting to business and deejaying in Europe. He runs a successful entertainment unit comprising of European deejays and a hand in real estate. Described as shy but outgoing, Don Matino is never shy of sorting humongous bills for a big party.
Ahmed Papa: He is a charming guy who likes to treat his guests to a lavish time. Besides investing, Papa loves to travel and recently posted pictures of his trip to Hollywood’s hall of fame.
Gor Ssemalang’o: The philanthropic businessman is the former youth fund boss now running an oil
empire that has billionaire Nigerian investors interested. Known to? y choppers to avoid traf?c jams, Gor remains true to charity and supporting youth activities wherever an opportunity shows up.
Martin Kiarie aka Edi?ce: This guy eats life with a big spoon. He is in real estate business and currently in Norway where he runs an entertainment out? t and also attends school. He is a real baller who commands attention wherever he goes thanks to his big spending.
Young Rich Kenyan Entrepreneurs
Top 5 wealthiest Kenyan entrepreneurs under 40
. Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop alias BUZEK
Mr. Kiprop Bundotich who is in his 30s is the founder of Buzeki Group of Companies, an amalgamation of companies incepted in 1999.
He owns a logistics company in Kenya, an oil-trading firm, a heavy vehicle dealership, and an insurance agency.
He acquired his wealth through investing in the dairy sector with the establishment of the first milk factory in coast province under the brand name “New KilifiGold”.
He later sold his Buzeki Dairy business to the Kenyatta family controlled Brookside dairies for $15million to focus on his logistics companies.
He was awarded by the president Order of the Golden Warrior(OGW) in 2016.
#2. Eric Kinoti
The 33-year-old is the founder of Shades Systems E. A Ltd a $1 million (annual sales) company that manufactures military and relief tents, branded gazebos, restaurant canopies, car parking shades, marquees, luxury tents, wedding party tents canvas seats and bouncing castles across the region.
Eric Kinoti has been listed twice in Kenya’s top 40 under 40 and voted the most influential SME personality at the SOMA Awards.
In 2014, he was also listed among 30 most promising young entrepreneurs in Africa, by Forbes Africa list.
Shades systems have annual sales of over USD1 million.
#3. Eugene Mbugua
This young entrepreneur, 26 under his company Young Rich Television Limited has produced several popular television shows, among them; Young Rich; Get InThe Kitchen; Stori Yangu and Our Perfect Wedding.
He is also the founder of My Yearbook Kenya Limited, a company that produces yearbooks for schools, companies and governmental organizations.
He was listed among Top 40 under 40 Kenyans in 2014 by Business Daily and his revenue for the last two years has been just shy of $1 million.
Eugene Mbugua was named among 30 most promising entrepreneurs for 2017 by the Forbes Africa list.
#4. Zammer Verjee
Verjee founded Studio AZ, an interior and exterior design firm based in Nairobi, in 2012 with the £400 he saved at the university.
Almost five years later, turned about $500,000 (Sh51.5 million) in 2016 and has 11 full-time staff and 75 subcontractors.
Last year, the 30-year-old was named as one of Kenya’s top 40 under 40 in 2016 by Business Daily Africa.
Zammer Verjee was named among 30 most promising entrepreneurs for 2017 by the Forbes Africa list.
#5. Trushar Khetia
The 30-year-old serial entrepreneurs are the founder of Tria Group, an outdoor advertising firm that uses public transit vehicles to market leading consumer goods in Kenya.
Tria, which was founded in 2013, places advertising on more than 200 buses in Nairobi for clients such as Unilever, Google, HP, Dell, and Konica Minolta.
The company has annual revenues exceeding $1.3 million.
Trushar Khetia is also the founder of Society Stores, one of the most popular supermarkets in Thika.
Notable mention.
James Mworia
39yr old Centum Investment chief executive James Mworia is the best paid corporate CEO in Kenya.
Mworia rose from a humble intern to head one of Kenya’s biggest and profitable Companies.
His salary rose 5.1 percent to a record Sh375.6 million ($3.6m) in the year ended March.
Kenyan Entrepreneurs Blog
Learn how to create a blog in about 20 minutes following these steps:
- Pick a blog name. Choose something descriptive.
- Get your blog online. Register your blog and get hosting.
- Customize your blog. Choose a free template and tweak it.
- Write & publish your first post. The fun part!
- Promote your blog. Get more people to read your blog.
- Make money blogging. Choose from several options to monetize your blog.
Let’s start your blog!
Reasons why you would go to the trouble of blogging
- Make money from home. Blogging can be quite lucrative if done correctly. The top bloggers in the world obviously earn quite a bit, but even a part-time blogger can expect to make a nice profit if things are done correctly. The best part about it is that blogging is a form of passive income since you can spend just a few hours a week writing a blog post and then continue to make money from it long after the blog post is written. I go into much more detail on how to blog for money later in this guide.
- Share your story. A blog allows you to have a voice and be heard. You can share your story with the entire world if you so choose. One of the most common ways blogs are used is as a diary where the blogger writes about their daily experiences so that friends, family, and others can all be a part of their lives.
- Recognition for yourself or your business. No, you probably won’t have paparazzi following you around because of your latest blog post. But a successful blog can gain you a ton of recognition in your respective field. Many bloggers are known as experts just because of their blogs, and some have even gotten book and movie deals based on their blogs.
- Find a community. Blogging at its heart is interactive. You write a blog post and people comment on it. This is a great way to connect with people who are interested in the same things as you are. Blogging allows you to teach these people based on your experience, and it gives you the opportunity to learn from your readers as well.
Kenyan Entrepreneur Who Started Small
I had it quite tough as I was working at the family business after my dad passed away and while I was in university and after dropping out too and as usual the family politics started and I was kicked out of the business. I had nothing given to me and had no substantial savings to get started so had no capital and didn’t know where to start. My uncle had given me the challenge to go and earn my own money and had told me that I would never be able to do so and would come back for his help that itself had given me the motivation. I initially started importing liquid tire sealants and accessories like car winches that I sold to clients locally for that I initially raised around $1000 for my first shipment from China in 2008 which I raised from a few shares I had that I sold and some borrowing from my mum. Thinking of it $1000 in 2008 wasn’t a huge amount and then I kept reinvesting the money back into the business. I moved out of the family house together with my mum, sister & brother and had to cater for all the expenses like house rent etc so It was very hard to get to save money as all I was making was mainly going in reordering stocks and in house expenses. I got married after moving out and when I knew I was expecting a child I decided to get a job elsewhere while running my business in the night so I was working in the day and planned my orders I had in the evenings, I tried getting to save money again but it still was quite a challenge and I decided to finally quit my job and take a risk as it was getting frustrating with the slow growth. I then was also very motivated by the story of Dhirubhai Ambani which I watched in a movie and honestly, that was the turning point for my start I put in all the effort worked late nights sending clients emails and working on client proposals. I told my wife I would have no choice but to take the risk which was very worrying for her as I was supporting the whole family with an addition to my newly born daughter now. My wife had a saving of $ 2,500 which I then borrowed from her and started the advertising business. With all the effort I put in things just completely changed and the business really grew. So it was the risk I took that made me make it which If I never took thinking of it now I probably would have been in the same place and not had a quick growth.
Lorna Rutto
Category – Young Entrepreneurs in Kenya
Green Tech Entrepreneur, Founder, EcoPost – Kenyan Entrepreneurs Success Stories
Lorna Rutto
Lorna Rutto, 28 is the founder of EcoPost, a profitable social enterprise which manufactures aesthetic, durable and environmentally friendly fencing posts using plastic waste, a more environmentally friendly alternative to timber. EcoPost collects this plastic waste (such as polypropylene and polyethylene) and manufactures fencing posts from it. Rutto has earned international acclaim for her efforts in providing an alternative waste management solution to Kenya’s plastic menace.
Kimiti Wanjaria & Ian Kahara
Category – Young Entrepreneurs in Kenya – Kenyan Entrepreneurs Success Stories
Founders, Serene Valley Properties
Both in their late 20s, Kimiti Wanjaria and Ian Kahara are part of a group of four co-founders of Serene Valley Properties (SVP), a Real Estate development company in Nairobi that constructs and sells residential properties to Kenya’s ever-growing middle class. SVP is behind the development of Sigona Valley project, a KSh350m (US$4.2m) gated residential community outside Nairobi.
Evans Wadongo, Kenyan
Category – Young Entrepreneurs in Kenya – Kenyan Entrepreneurs Success Stories
Chairman, SDFA Kenya
Evans Wadongo
Wadongo, a 26-year-old Kenyan engineer designed a solar-powered LED lantern called MwangaBora (Swahili for “Good Light”), an invention which is fast replacing smoky kerosene lamps and firelight in rural Kenya. Wadongo has been distributing thousands of these lanterns throughout rural Kenya where there is little or no electricity. His organization, Sustainable Development For All (SDFA) sponsors an empowerment initiative that teaches poor Kenyans how to reproduce these solar lanterns and sell for profit.
Cosmas Ochieng
Category – Young Entrepreneurs in Kenya – Kenyan Entrepreneurs Success Stories
Founder, Ecofuels Kenya
Cosmas Ochieng, a 26-year-old Kenyan entrepreneur runs Ecofuels Kenya, an East Africa firm which produces environmentally friendly, green biofuels and organic fertilizers from renewable indigenous sources such as the croton nut.
Eric Muthomi
Category – Successful Entrepreneurs in Kenya – Kenyan Entrepreneurs Success Stories
Founder, Stawi Foods & Fruits
Eric Muthomi
The 26-year-old Kenyan entrepreneur is the founder of Stawi Foods and Fruits, an innovative start-up which procures bananas from smallholder farmers in rural Kenya and processes them into banana flour.
Joel Mwale
Category – Successful Entrepreneurs in Kenya – Kenyan Entrepreneurs Success Stories
Founder, Skydrop Enterprises
Joel Mwale
Mwale who is 20 years old runs SkyDrop Enterprises, a rainwater filtration, and bottling company which produces low-cost purified drinking water, milk and other dairy products in Kenya. Mwale founded Skydrop in December 2009 and the company now employs over 20 people.
Mark Kaigwa
Category – Successful Entrepreneurs in Kenya – Kenyan Entrepreneurs Success Stories
Partner, Afrinnovator
Mark Kaigwa
Mark Kaigwa, 25 is a multi-talented creative director, filmmaker, digital marketer and entrepreneur. Kaigwa is a co-founder and partner at Afrinnovator, a venture which aims to put Africa on the map by publishing exploits across African innovation, technology, and start-ups. He is also Partner at African Digital Art – the web’s leading resource for creative inspiration in animation, illustration, photography, and design from Africa.
Kariuki Gathitu
Category – Young Rich Entrepreneurs in Kenya – Kenyan Entrepreneurs Success Stories
Kariuki Gathitu
MPAYER
Having been in the banking industry, Kariuki saw the difficulties that people have when it comes to payments and especially mobile payments. This led to the birth of MPAYER, his mobile money management system, has been widely acknowledged and received awards for innovation. MPAYER recently won the second position in a global competition held in South Africa called Dragons Den and was the best application in Africa and second in the world among 50 top startups globally. MPAYER is having a great impact on the SME space in Kenya, allowing small businesses to build strong scalable businesses. Kariuki is passionate about innovation, technology, and business. He is also involved in youth advocacy and from time to time travels around the continent speaking to young people about entrepreneurship. He has worked with the African Union, the World Bank, and even governments in this capacity.
Richard Turere
Category – Top Entrepreneurs in Kenya – Kenyan Entrepreneurs Success Stories
Lion Lights
Richard Turere
He is the innovator behind ‘Lion Lights’ which are flashing lights set up around a perimeter facing outwards; which are used to scare away lions. Richard devised ‘Lion Lights’ to prevent night attacks by lions on his family’s cattle herd, which was located in Kitengela on the unfenced south side of Nairobi National Park, in Kenya. These types of attacks often lead to the hunting and killing of the lions, which are endangered. After his innovation, the lion attacks ceased and soon neighbors were asking for him to set up similar systems around their farms. The cattle were also calmer because the lights meant that they could see the land around was safe.
Boniface Mwangi
Category – Top Entrepreneurs in Kenya – Kenyan Entrepreneurs Success Stories
Picha Mtaani
Boniface Mwangi
Boniface Mwangi is an award-winning Kenyan photographer and photo-activist. Boniface is the Project Director of Picha Mtaani, which is a mobile photo exhibition held in towns across Kenya, showcasing photographs of the post-election violence that rocked various parts of the country in 2007/08. Picha Mtaani has reached over 500,000 individuals and plans to develop an online platform that will use photography as a catalyst for social change across East Africa. Boniface has worked as a photojournalist for the Standard and has worked as a freelancer for Bloomberg, the AFP, Reuters, the Boston Globe, as well as a number of other media outlets. He holds a Diploma in Print Journalism from the East African School of Journalism, and has been recognized as a TED Fellow and twice as the CNN Multichoice Africa Photojournalist of the Year.