Charles Njiru Mkombozi, the owner of Nice Digital City in Mwea, is among hundreds of businesspeople who lost their businesses worth millions of shillings to the Saba Saba nationwide demonstrations on July 7, 2025.
Njiru revealed he had just acquired Sh50 million loan to restock his business, but lost all to goons who invaded the business premises in Ngurubani, Kirinyaga County.
The goons engaged the police in running battles for nearly two hours and eventually overpowered them, forcing their way into Nice Supermarket and looting various items.
“They were so many and they were very violent. Police officers exhausted all the tear gas they had and were chased away. That’s when the youths accessed my businesses,” Njiru said.
He said that he will now be forced to seek more funds for repairs and to restart operations, noting that over 1,000 employees were left jobless.
While the destruction has been linked to goons posing as protestors, Njiru also hinted at a possible business rivalry, accusing competitors of using criminal tactics to bring down others. Police have so far arrested 30 suspects in connection with the attack.
Nice Digital City, a reportedly Sh2 billion property, sits on around eight acres of land and has over the years, been a major attraction along the busy Makutano-Mwea-Embu Road.
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It hosts a supermarket, a 75-bed hotel, a swimming pool, a chemist, and gardens, among other amenities.
Njiru built the establishment from scratch after eight failed businesses. His entrepreneurship journey started in the 1980s, as a vegetable farmer in his home in Karaba.
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The farming business failed due to inadequate rainfall and only managed to save Sh2,500 after four years of farming.
He decided to quit farming, and with a loan of Sh500 from his friend and his Sh2,500 savings, Njiru started selling second-hand clothes. He quit the business after just two months after discovering a more promising venture.
“I then saw an opportunity in agrochemicals. I bought a carton of several products and started hawking them in Mwea town,” he said in a past interview.
The agrochemical business was promising at first and earned him Sh300,000 in sales in just six months, but the profits went on declining due to competition, prompting him to quit after three years.
Mr Njiru has also tried his hand at the matatu business, transportation of sand and construction material, and brewing. But he quit for different reasons ranging from dishonesty to high operating costs.
“My life in business has been so hostile, but I believe that in every adversity, there is a way out,” he added.
Rice milling eventually became his breakthrough. Njiru had set up a brewery, but after he failed to secure a license, he converted the premise to a maize milling company at a cost of Sh3 million.
The maize milling business was, however, tough due to prolonged drought, which affected maize farming in the region. One crop, rice, was, however, flourishing in the area to the extent that millers had become overwhelmed by supply.
“Farmers were waiting for three months to have their rice milled at government-owned mills. Rice farmers started flocking to my maize mill looking for storage, and eventually, I started milling for them.” He said.
Due to the many travelers stopping in Mwea to buy rice from his factory and other retailers, he saw an opportunity to build a mall -Nice Digital City, which over time attracted a lot of shoppers, mostly travelers using the Makutano-Embu highway.
Other establishments that make up Njiru’s business empire are Nice Rice Mills, Nice Charcoal, Nice Mineral Water, Nice Bakeries, and Nice Jikos.
“I own and operate all the facilities in the mall except the chemist, which I have rented out. Visitors can use the gardens for free as long as they commit to spend on drinks and food from the hotel.” He said.
