Kenya, and by extension Africa, has always been a patriarchal society. Women are not allowed to own or inherit property in some communities. This reliance on men is being reduced by a new generation of women who are proven to be equally adept at leadership, entrepreneurship, and career advancement.
They are an encouragement to young women, as evidenced by the fact that girl children surpass their male counterparts in national tests. As we will see in this post, more women are now creating wealth.
The following is a list of some of the country’s wealthiest women:
Esther Muchemi
She is the CEO and founder of Semchi Telecom.
Muchemi worked as an auditor for 16 years, first at Bellhouse Mwangi (now Ernst and Young) in 1984 and then at PKF Kenya as a Salaried partner from 1989 to 1996.
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Muchei left official work in 2000 to start her own business on Nairobi’s Koinange Street.
“I left formal employment in pursuit of my dreams and greatness, to form an Audit and Consulting Firm, Esther Muchemi and Company Auditors as Founder and Partner,” she writes in her bio.
Nonetheless, as founder and CEO of Samchi Telecommunications Ltd in 2000, she established the firm, which has since given birth to a number of firms.
Samchi was the first M-Pesa dealer in Kenya when the mobile-money technology was created, and he still has the till number 0001.
Jane Wanjiru Michuki
She is the Nairobi Stock Exchange’s largest female stakeholder, and her net worth was reported to be US$50 million in 2014. Jane earned a Bachelor of Laws degree before going on to acquire a postgraduate diploma in law in Kenya. In the United Kingdom, she earned her Master’s degree.
When she returned to Kenya, she began her legal career and created Kimani & Michuki Advocates, a firm that has represented some of the country’s largest holdings, including Equity Bank. Britam’s 9.5 percent stake is worth Kes4.5 billion.
Mama Ngina Kenyatta
Mama Ngina Kenyatta is the mother of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and the wife of Kenya’s first president, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. It goes without saying that this elevates her to the position of one of the most influential women in the country, a position that clearly comes with a lot of money.
She was named one of Africa’s top billionaires, along with late former cabinet member Nicholas Biwott, in a published by Nigeria’s Ventures financial magazine. Her fortune is reported to be worth $1 billion and is distributed throughout real estate, finance, hospitality, and other industries.
Tabitha Karanja
Tabitha is the strong-willed lady behind Keroche Breweries, a successful maker and provider of alcoholic beverages. She worked as an accounts clerk at the Ministry of Tourism after finishing her education. In 1997, she met her husband and founded a fortified wine firm, which failed due to severe taxes imposed by the government.
Instead, she began producing ready-to-drink gin and vodka, both of which are currently available on the market. Her fortune is estimated to be Ksh5.5 billion.
Dr Catherine Nyongesa
This is a woman who recognized an opportunity and took a major risk, which paid off handsomely. She is the country’s first female radiation oncologist and the current CEO of Texas Cancer Center in Nairobi.
Before opening the hospital, she borrowed Ksh 100 million and sunk it into the endeavor, hoping for the best. It is now worth more than kes1 billion. She is also a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and can be found at Kenyatta National Hospital.
