Mary-Ann Musangi, the daughter of the late billionaire Chris Kirubi, is one of the most powerful women in Kenya.

Mary-Ann took over leadership of his father’s Sh40 billion estate after his death in June 2021. The late tycoon had built his businesses in various sectors, including media, manufacturing, agriculture, technology, and real estate.

Born in 1971 in Nairobi, Mary-Ann grew up with his brother Robert Kirubi and one step-sister, Fiona Farha Kirubi, following the divorce of her parents, Fiona Kirubi and Chris Kirubi.

She recalls being sent to Switzerland to pursue her education at only 12 years old, an exposure that built her to what she is today.

She graduated from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom with a degree of Bachelor of Business Administration.

She further pursued a Master of Science in Management while still in the United Kingdom. After her studies, she worked in several companies including Coca-Cola Company, Kenya Commercial Bank, GlaxoSmithKline, and Ogilvy & Mather.

She also served on several boards; Haco Tiger Brands, UAP Investments Limited, International House Limited, Woof Advertising & Marketing, Croyden Limited and Sheraton Rongai.

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She resigned from KCB Bank Group after serving as a Marketing Director for five years to venture into the hospitality industry, opening two high-end restaurants, Secret Garden in 2011 and Olpul in 2017.

The two businesses collapsed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted movement and crowds.

After her late father was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2018, Mary-Ann was appointed managing director of Haco Industries Limited in February 2019.

Under Mary-Ann’s leadership, Haco Limited, a Kenyan manufacturer and distributor of fast-moving consumer goods, has become a beacon of innovation and sustainability.

She transformed the company from contract manufacturing to localised production, enhancing quality control and supporting Kenya’s industrialisation goals.

According to her, the greatest gift that their father left for them was quality education. She also revealed that her father had prepared her businesswise as they had worked together for five years.

“I had been running the business five years before he passed away. I already had a relationship with all the members and I felt that I was at a point where people knew who I was, they trusted me, we developed strategies together, and we knew where businesses were going.”

She currently sits in several boards including Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Smart Applications, International Life House and Capital Group. She is also on the board of trustees for the Gender and Violence Recovery Centre.

The mother of two daughters is married to Andrew Musangi, a renowned lawyer and businessman, currently serving as Chairman of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).