Kenya is home to a number of billionaire entrepreneurs with most of them choosing to stay away from the limelight.
One such billionaire is businessman Peter Burugu, the founder of Kiambu Mall, strategically located in the heart of Kiambu town.
Burugu owns the five-floor mall through his real estate company Mugaa Investments. The mall is occupied by both international and local brands, including Java, Ashley’s, Vivo, Nairobi Hospital, Chicken Inn, Creamy Inn, Pizza Inn, Naivas Supermarket, Pizza Planet, and Commercial Bank of Africa, among others.
The businessman is better known for his business ties with East African Breweries Limited (EABL) through his distributing company, Bia Tosha, which distributes EABL products in most parts of Nairobi.
Burugu began his career as an accountant at East African Breweries Limited (EABL), climbing the ranks to lead the distribution and logistics department.
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He worked at EABL for 27 years in various roles before leaving in April 1995 through an early retirement plan.
He fully ventured into entrepreneurship and started a private distribution firm, Bia Yetu, which would later take over EABL’s distribution channel.
At the time, the late billionaire Njenga Karume was EABL’s main distributor. Karume later exited EABL to join South African Breweries (SAB), which owns the Castle Lager brand.
EABL would later approach Burugu to take over the distribution channel, marking the beginning of his business success.
The businessman secured a bank loan and purchased nine trucks to start Bia Yetu, distributing products to Kiambu District and parts of Eastlands, Nairobi. EABL provided him with stock on credit for a year.
The business grew with time presenting another opportunity to Burugu, who opened a second distributing company under the name Bia Tosha.
Bia Tosha took over distribution in Nairobi West region following the collapse of EABL’s major distributor in the region.
Bia Yetu and Bia Tosha grew, and Burugu merged them in 2008, with another distributor taking charge of Kiambu.
The merger saw the Bia Tosha portfolio grow to include South C, Industrial Area, Hurlingham, Upperhill, Kiserian, Rongai, Namanga, and Juja.
The businessman invested in professionalism and hired qualified personnel to oversee his businesses as he prepared to exit the company as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
In 2011 he finally passed the leadership button to his daughter, Anne-Marie Burugu who currently serves as the company’s Managing Director.
“I have a daughter and three sons but it’s my daughter who showed keen interest in running the family business. Today she is in charge of Bia Tosha while the boys help me run my real estate firm,” he told Business Daily in a past interview.
Bia Tosha partnered with EABL in March 2015 to open Berries and Barrels – a high-end liquor store located at Yaya Center. As of 2020, Bia Tosha controlled 22 beer distribution routes in Nairobi.
The businessman uses part of the profit from his businesses to help the needy in charity activities.
