Kenya is home to thousands of billionaires and millionaires who have accumulated wealth from various ventures.
Some of the country’s wealthy individuals have partnered with their spouses to run their businesses. Below are some of the known couples who have partnered in running businesses in the country.
SK Macharia and Purity Gathoni- Royal Media Services
Samuel Kamau Macharia, the founder of Royal Media Services (RMS), is one of the richest people in the country.
Together with his wife, Purity Gathoni Macharia, who serves as RMS Marketing Director, the two have steered the company to become one of the largest private media companies owned by an individual in the East African region.
RMS is home to 3 TV stations: Citizen TV, Inooro TV, and Ramogi TV. The company also owns 13 radio stations including Radio Citizen, Ramogi FM, Inooro FM, Hot 96, Musyi FM, Chamgei FM, Muuga FM, Egesa FM, Bahari FM, Mulembe FM, Wimwaro FM, Sulwe FM, and Vuuka FM.
Daniel Gachukia- Riara Group of Schools
Daniel Gachukia and his wife, Professor Eddah Gachukia, have led the Riara Group of Schools franchise to become one of the highly acclaimed institutions in the country.
The two met at Makerere University in Uganda, where they graduated as teachers. After campus, Daniel taught in various schools including Namilyango High School in Uganda and Thika High and Kagumo High School in Kenya.
His wife, on the other hand, began her teaching career at Thika High School. Over the years, the two have established Riara Group of schools to a multi-education institution consisting of Kindergarten, primary school, secondary school, international school, and University
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Joseph Karanja and Tabitha Karanja-Keroche Breweries
Keroche Breweries was started in 1997 by Joseph Karanja and Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja. The journey started after Joseph closed his hardware shop in Naivasha Town to try his hand at brewing instead.
With fewer than 10 workers, Karanja ventured into producing fortified wine, but the business was too demanding, forcing him to turn to his wife for help.
The two built Keroche Breweries into a prominent and respected brand within the African brewing industry, wrestling with a multinational brewer that had enjoyed eight decades of monopoly in Kenya.
Even though facing financial challenges, Keroche Breweries, a multi-billion shilling industry, has over the years created employment for hundreds of Kenyans.
Dr. Pius Okelo and Dr. Mary Okelo-Makini School
The late Pius Okello and his Wife, Mary Okello, are the founders of the Makini Group of school. The school was started in 1978 under the name Riara Gardens Academy.
It had only eight students and operated from a bungalow where the founders once lived. The school has presently grown to accommodate over 2,000 students.
It has four campuses: the Ngong Road (mother) campus and the Makini Junior Academy on State House Avenue in Nairobi, Makini Junior School Migosi, and Makini School Kibos in Kisumu.
On its 40th anniversary in 2018, the school changed ownership from the Okelo’s and is now under the ADvTECH Group in a deal estimated to be worth Sh1 billion.
