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Kenya has a number of billionaires who unlike the likes of Jimmy Wanjigi, are never seen in public
One such is billionaire investor John Kibunga Kimani, one of the single largest investors in most blue-chip stocks at the NSE, with his shareholding in these companies alone valued at more than Sh1 billion.
Dr. Kimani also has shares in East African Breweries, Safaricom, Nation Media Group, and Centum.
Born into a squatter family at the expansive Kakuzi farms, south of Murang’a, he started by acquiring shares in Kakuzi, which is estimated to sit on more than 39,000 acres
Kimani is believed to have backed squatters, helping them own shares at Kakuzi, even it meant reducing his own stake in the firm.
Consequently, squatters made it into the top 10 list of Kakuzi shareholders in just a few years.
Kimani is passionate about agriculture and holds an undergraduate degree in agriculture from Makerere University in Uganda, and a master’s of science degree in agricultural economics from Reading University in the UK.
He also holds a Ph.D. in development studies, economics, and socio-anthropology from the University of Sussex, which is also in the UK.
Kimani is a member of the Agricultural Society of Kenya, the Avocado Exporters Association of Kenya, and is also a fellow of the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank, according to his profile.
