Looking at the entrepreneurial journey of the late Samwel Ng’etich, one would completely agree that you do not need a silver spoon to achieve great things in life.
Ng’etich, who succumbed to a liver ailment on August 25, 2022, aged 73, was a successful businessman not only in the South Rift region but the entire country.
His multi-billion estate spans the manufacturing, real estate, transport, and tourism sectors among others.
Born in 1949 in Kericho County, Ng’etich was among the unlucky children who lack formal education due to poverty. Various media reports have it that he dropped out of school in Standard Three due to financial constraints.
He would later engage in menial jobs, digging pit latrines for villagers around his home to supplement his parent’s income.
He did all sorts of casual jobs, including working for people as a gardener, selling chicken, and working as a waiter in several hotels among others.
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All through, he would save any extra coin, and through commitment and financial discipline, he established a small hotel for tea and mandazi at Kapsoit shopping centre in 1973 but later expanded to a big bar and restaurant.
The venture paid off well, enabling him to expand to the matatu industry before diverting to the real estate and wholesaler shops.
Ng’etich’s entrepreneurial journey was however not all about making money but also gaining new skills. At some point, he traveled to China to broaden his entrepreneurial skills.
The visit catapulted him to broaden his businesses to mining and construction where he owns a quarry in Soin-Sigowet constituency. The quarry was commissioned in 2014, graced by the incumbent president, William Ruto (then deputy president).
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The journey did not end there for Ng’etich, who has also played a significant role in the tea sector. He started by purchasing green leaves from farmers and selling them to multinational companies.
His business acumen enabled him to own several tea manufacturing factories, including Kuresoi, Mbogo Valley, Sang’alo, and Tet Tea.
He also owns a sugar factory in Soin-Sigowet constituency which is currently under construction. Other assets under his name include a chain of supermarkets in the South Rift, Nakuru, and Nandi counties.
His business empire is said to have created employment for over 5,000 people. He was also a philanthropist and sponsored 5,000 students in secondary schools and universities.
Ngetich also had an interest in politics. In 1996, he was elected as the KANU chairman for Kericho Town ward. He also served as the first Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Kapkugerwet ward between 2013 and 2017.
