Former Kirinyaga Member of Parliament (MP) John Ngata Kariuki is the proprietor behind the Sarova Hotels chain.
Kariuki partnered with the late Gurcharan Singh Vohra (G.S. Vohra) in 1974 to establish the hotel chain, which has grown to one of the most recognized in Africa.
They first acquired the Ambassadeur Hotel on Moi Avenue in Nairobi and later purchased the 22-acre Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort in 1976, and the Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi CBD.
Unbeknownst to many, the name ‘Sarova’ is derived from the first letters of the wives of the founding fathers: SA (Swarna Vohra), RO (Rose Kariuki), and VA (Varsha Vohra).
Following the death of Gurcharan in 2013, Kariuki took over the chairmanship of the hotel, a position he holds till to date.
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The hotel boasts several branches in Nairobi including the Sarova Stanely, Sarova Panafric, and Sarova Whitesands in Mombasa. It also has branches in Tsavo, Samburu, Maasai Mara and Nakuru.
Before venturing into the hospitality sector, Kariuki held other high-profile positions. He served as a non-executive chairman and director in several companies such as Kenya Airways, Kenya National Assurance, and the Automobile Association of Kenya.
He has also served as a director at Kenya Post & Telecommunications Corporation (Telkom Kenya) and as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Bank of India.
The former legislator ventured into politics and was elected Kirinyaga MP in the 2007 election, a win that was nullified in 2011 following petitions by his fierce competitor, Daniel Karaba of NARC Kenya.
His wife, Rose Wanjiku Kariuki, an educationist and economist, passed away in 2015, leaving him behind with their two children, James Kariuki and Elizabeth Nyawira.
