Dr. Chris Kirubi is Dead.

Dr. Chris Kirubi who is also the Chairman of Capital Group Limited is dead, the family has confirmed.

According to the family, Kirubi passed away on Monday afternoon, following a long battle with Cancer. He was aged 80.

The renowned businessman is said to have passed away at his home in Nairobi.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Christopher J. Kirubi (1941-2021) who passed away today, Monday the 14th of June, 2021 at 1 pm at his home after a long battle with cancer fought with fortitude, grace and courage. He was surrounded by his family,” 

reads the statement.

More to follow…

Chris Kirubi Biography

Chris Kirubi is a Kenyan businessman, entrepreneur, industrialist and philanthropist. He is a Director at Centum Investment Company Limited, a business conglomerate, in which he is the largest individual shareholder. 

Chris Kirubi is the chairman and a shareholder of Haco Tiger Brands (a joint venture with Tiger Brands SA, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange). He is also CEO of Capital FM and holds large equity stakes in Nairobi Stock Exchange-listed investment firm Centum, UAP Insurance and the Kenyan franchise of DHL. Furthermore, he is a shareholder in Nairobi Bottlers, a bottling franchise for Coca-Cola.

Chris Kirubi Age

Chris Kirubi was 80 years old as of 2021, he was born in 1941

Chris Kirubi Family

Kirubi was born poor, lost both parents very early, and had to start working during school holidays to supplement the needs of his brothers and himself. Upon graduation, he worked for Shell, as a salesman, selling and repairing gas cylinders.  According to him, the pennies he earned from this job could not have bought anyone dinner.

Chris Kirubi Parents

Chris Kirubi was born to a poor family. Both of his parents died when he was very young. He began work while still in school, working during school holidays to support himself and his siblings. Upon graduation, his first job was as a salesman, selling and repairing gas cylinders for Shell, the petroleum conglomerate.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, Kirubi worked as an Administrator at Kenatco, a government-owned transportation company. Starting around 1971, he began buying run-down buildings in the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa, renovating them and either selling the renovated structures or renting them out. He also began acquiring strategic pieces of land in and around Nairobi and proceeded to erect rental residential and commercial properties on them, using loans from Kenyan financial institutions.

Chris Kirubi Wife

Kirubi divorced his wife 18 years ago but they have one beautiful daughter Mary-Anne Wambui.

Very little is known about his wife Ms Kirubi who went under immediately after they successfully parted ways. However, it can be revealed that as late as 2017 the lady who leads a lowkey life had already retired and is leading a low life.

Chris Kirubi Marriage

In a recent interview with Business Daily, Kirubi was asked if he intends to marry (since he is in the process of completing his dream home) and his sentiments were quite interesting. Unlike any eligible bachelors or divorced men or women, Chris Kirubi approaches the whole subject differently.

The Mogul believes that you should let marriage come to you and not the other way round. He said marriage comes to you as a blessing and you must not go around chasing after women to marry because you will end up choosing the wrong partner.

Chris feels that love will always find you and he believes if God chooses to bless him with a wife then he will gladly accept it but he will not look for marriage but marriage will look for him and that is why he has remained unmarried for all these years.

Chris Kirubi Children:

Chris Kirubi has one beautiful daughter Mary Anne Musangi and a son Robert Kirubi

Chris Kirubi Son Robert Kirubi

Kirubi’s son Robert Kirubi works in Belgium and he is the head of Global Customer programs at DHL Services Logistics.

Robert in 2018 turned down an offer by his father when he was asked to come back to Kenya and manage some of his father’s businesses.

In one of the last interviews that the late Kirubi featured on, he said that probably he turned down the offer because he was paid well by the company in Belgium.

Chris Kirubi Son Daughter Mary Anne Musangi

Chris first-born daughter is known as Mary Anne Wambui aged 47 years old.

Wambui is a Kenyan businesswoman and entrepreneur who runs her father’s empire and also seats on a number of boards of public and private companies.

The companies include; Sidian Bank, Haco Tiger Brands, UAP Investments Limited, International House Limited, Woof Advertising and marketing, Sheraton in Rongai and Croyden Limited.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International business administration and a Master of Science in management from the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.

She once described her mother saying “a lovely lady, very low key, very hardworking and a woman who loved her kids.”

Asked about her father in an interview in 2017- she said that “ he is a mentor who grew up with nothing and today is one of Kenya’s most accomplished businessmen.”

Chris Kirubi Net Worth

Kirubi has an estimated net worth of over $300 million dollars as of 2021. 

Chris Kirubi Early Life

During the 1960s and early 1970s, Kirubi worked as an Administrator at Kenatco, a government-owned transportation company. Starting around 1971, he began buying run-down buildings in the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa, renovating them and either selling the renovated structures or renting them out. He also began acquiring strategic pieces of land in and around Nairobi and proceeded to erect rental residential and commercial properties on them, using loans from Kenyan financial institutions.

His foray into real estate property development was timely and strategic, and he made a killing. He is one of Kenya’s wealthiest businessmen with a fortune estimated at $300 million, and also one of the richest men in Africa. His property management company, International House Limited (IHL), owns and manages various residential and commercial buildings in Nairobi and he owns Nairobi’s landmark International House building, one of the city’s longest standing and most prestigious commercial properties.

Chris Kirubi Holdings

Kirubi’s investments include but are not limited to the following: (1) Centum Investments: Chris Kirubi is the largest single investor in the company, whose stock is listed on both the Nairobi Stock Exchange and on the Uganda Securities Exchange. (2) He owns 100% of Haco Industries Limited, a Kenyan household goods manufacturer. (3) 98.4 Capital FM, is a Nairobi radio station, whose shares he owns 100%. (4) Kenya Commercial Bank Group and (5) Nation Media Group

Chris Kirubi Wealth

Chris Kirubi has learned much since he acquired his first dilapidated property in the early 1970s. He now counts among his real estate holding Nairobi’s iconic International House building (home to his office) and, through his property holding company

House Limited, 40 other residential and commercial properties across the city, valued at more than $200 million. Add his other assets and Kirubi is worth a conservative $300 million, placing him at number 31 on Forbes’ inaugural list of Africa’s 40 Richest.

Yet he is somewhat modest about his success. “People say I am one of the richest people in Kenya, but that’s not my concern. I mean, they say I am a god of sorts, but I don’t agree,” he says with a smile. “When I look around at my companies and see the number of people we have employed, it gives me joy. It is more satisfying than having all the money in the world.” Through his various enterprises, including International House, Tiger Haco Industries, Capital FM and DHL Kenya, he employs close to 1,000 people.

Chris Kirubi – Haco Industries

In 1998 Chris Kirubi acquired for an undisclosed sum 100% of Haco Industries, a Kenyan subsidiary of a Dutch trading house. Kirubi expanded the company from a distributor of American and British brands to a leading indigenous manufacturer of consumer products, including TCB and Palmers, the bestselling hair and skin care products in the country. In 2008 Haco formed a joint venture with Tiger Brands, one of South Africa’s largest food manufacturers. Revenues of Haco Tiger Industries were in excess of $33 million in 2010. It employs close to 700 people.

“In a way, I feel like I am a part of every Kenyan’s life. 95% of all Kenyans or anyone who comes to Kenya has at one time or the other used a product that is manufactured by me.”

The company does make everyday items like the Bic pen I bought to take notes, as well as razors, lighters, baby food, stationery, and bleach.

Chris Kirubi – Capital FM

In 1998 he purchased Capital FM, a floundering local radio station. “I didn’t just want to acquire the station solely for the financial dividends it was eventually going to give me; I wanted to love the business, I wanted to understand the business from the very basics. So I approached the managers and told them that I wanted to host a rock radio show. I asked them to teach me how to become a Disc Jockey.”

Kirubi not only learned how to disc jockey, but he also began hosting a weekly rock show on the station. The public went wild. Ratings shot through the roof. The station is now the largest in Kenya in terms of listenership – over three million people tune in every day, and it has outshone the competition for several years running.

Chris Kirubi – Centum Investment

Chris Kirubi holds the largest individual stake in Centum Investments, a private equity firm listed both on the Nairobi and Uganda stock exchanges with a recent market capitalization of $92 million. Centum has one of the most attractive investment portfolios in the region, including substantial stakes in Coca-Cola, Safaricom (Kenya’s leading telecoms company) and Kenyan Commercial Bank.

Chris Kirubi – UAP Insurance

Chris Kirubi is also the largest individual shareholder in UAP Insurance, east Africa’s third largest insurance company.

Chris Kirubi Two Rivers Mall

Until it announced recently that it was going to cede some shares to Old Mutual, Centum Investment had a 58.3 percent stake in Two Rivers Mall. The mall, said to be the biggest by size (62,000 square meters) in Kenya, sits on a 100 acres on Limuru Road, not far from the leafy suburbs of Nayri, Gigiri, Muthaiga, and Runda.

The first phase is set to cost over Sh25.2 billion. Two Rivers is being developed by Athena Properties Limited, a subsidiary of Centum. It will host a five-star hotel, residential apartments, an office park, and house international anchor stores.

Billionaire businessman Chris Kirubi is the majority shareholder in Centum, headed by James Mworia as the CEO. The Capital FM owner and deejay is also a director at Centum.

One of Kenya’s wealthiest businessmen, Kirubi has a fortune estimated at $220 million (Sh22 billion) as of January 2016, according to Forbes. Forbes put his stake in centum at 27 percent, 49 percent stake in Haco Tiger Brands, the DHL franchise in Kenya and extensive commercial and residential real estate in Nairobi.

“This project proves that we have the capacity to tackle our own challenges such as unemployment and rapid urbanization. We all have an opportunity to be part of something great,” said Kirubi, Two Rivers’ board chairman, during the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Vision 2030 recently.

Chris Kirubi Two Rivers Mall Video

https://youtu.be/Y49oVpnpt7Y

Chris Kirubi Net Worth – Building on a Property Foundation

That journey began with property development. Chris Kirubi owns one of Kenya’s most iconic buildings, the International House in Nairobi – namesake and headquarters of International House Limited, his property investment firm. “Property was one of the easiest things to try to get into,” Kirubi explains. “Properties were not expensive as they are now. Today in Kenya it is almost impossible to buy. Back then, if you had a friend in the bank to support you it was easy to buy these assets. I used to buy neglected properties, do them up and flog them in the market. It was an area that there were not many people involved in, and it was a very profitable venture.”

“I was asked by a company to partner with them in manufacturing writing implements and was also trading with a Dutch company. But I got involved with the Dutch company because the MD stayed in one of my properties. We got to know each other and became good friends. With International House, I worked for [the insurance company that was headquartered there]. I used to sell policies and when they decided to close down their offices in Kenya, they offered me the opportunity to buy the building and supported me in talking to the banks and off we went. So property was always the foundation.

From there, Chris Kirubi built a diversified empire and recalls only one defeat – a paint industries business. But even on the topic of failure, Chris Kirubi is characteristically upbeat. “I didn’t understand the routes to market and couldn’t gain ground against the Giants in the sector. But I learned: you fail, you get up and you walk. You move on. I had the proceeds from the assets and some land that I still hold, so it wasn’t a total disaster,” he says.

His successes have been plentiful and on this point, Chris Kirubi can afford to be a little philosophical. “Success for me is not enumerated in wealth,” he says. “I have come to discover that money and material things are never quite sufficient; the goal post always shifts when you get there.” He returns to his typical pragmatism: “Success means being able to accomplish the goals I have set out for myself. If, for example, I have a goal to build a state-of-the-art property, success comes in small doses. It is in seeing the milestones we have achieved with the completion of every construction step and finally being able to open up the building for occupation. More so, it extends to having a 100-percent occupancy rate of satisfied clients. When that happens, I can say I feel successful in that angle.”

His biggest success, he believes, was his transition from a position of poverty to that of an employer, shepherding himself ”from the very poor world to a world where I am able to create jobs and create opportunities” for fellow Kenyans. “My success is Kenya’s success. I have lots of people working for me in the various companies I have. From being poor, I am now a job creator, creating lives for other people.”

Chris Kirubi Wealth – Managed Interventions

Chris Kirubi has developed a reputation for turning around failing businesses, Capital FM is an exemplary case. “Capital FM was almost dead. They were not paying their bills, the staff was demotivated. It was struggling in the market place,” Kirubi says. “But I saw an opportunity. I realized that what was missing was focused on management. The company was concentrating on a narrow band of expat listenership.”

The beleaguered radio station might not have seemed a viable investment to many, but to Kirubi it was an opportunity. “I like buying things that are not well managed and turning them around because I know the one thing I can put into a business is management. Within a few years, we turned it around, widened the base of listenership, brought in younger Kenyans to be presenters and I myself went on air – I got involved to make sure that people had contact with me.”

The opportunity was two-fold. “I really thank Capital very much because I had lots of products to promote and I was paying a lot of money in advertising. So I thought, why don’t I buy the media itself?” he says jovially, before adding on a serious note: “It became my life. When you get into media, it’s hard to get out.”

Chris Kirubi Wealth – A Diversified Portfolio

How has he managed to build success in so many diverse sectors? “Regardless of the sector, being successful requires first and foremost that you understand your market,” he answers. “When I first got into media, I faced numerous challenges in trying to understand the market, its needs, the skills required and the peculiarities of the industry. I had to do my research and practically submerge myself in the industry by becoming a DJ in order to understand the market. Only then could I make proper and effective decisions.”

Knowing your market is just one item on a shopping list of attributes and virtues that Kirubi feels help create success. “You need to have a vision, be passionate about it, build a credible brand and have tenacity, especially when the trials seem to be more than the successes,” he advises. “Obviously this list is not exhaustive but success requires you to put in hard work.”

Chris Kirubi Wealth – Going Social

His involvement in Capital FM took Kirubi into the brave new world of digital media, which has captured him completely. “This to me is a very exciting world. I have an average of three million hits a day on Capital FM. The future is new media. It is instant, it is specific and everybody can talk to everybody else. New media is very fast. You are not waiting for news at 10 at night,” he says. “Businesses have to change. They have to see communication as a major issue. They have to understand who is saying what about them and to be aware of negatives and correct them, or their businesses will disappear beneath them without them knowing what is going on. [New media] has brought customers to the forefront. People have the power now to communicate.”

Kirubi’s use of social media and his show on Capital, which he presents as DJ CK, have raised his public profile as an outspoken advocate for entrepreneur and entrepreneurs. His Twitter account (@CKirubi) has over 100,000 followers, many of whom use the hashtag #AskKirubi to solicit his guidance.

Chris Kirubi Wealth – Entrepreneurial Flair

“Yes, I engage with many aspiring entrepreneurs. In fact, I have always advocated for self-employment as a means to curb the skyrocketing unemployment levels in Kenya. Young people shouldn’t just wait to get absorbed into the formal employment sector but must look at alternative ways of generating income,” Kirubi says.

According to Chris Kirubi, the issues that keep young entrepreneurs awake at night include cash flow, access to financing, competition in the market and the market’s relative demand for their offerings. At least, those are the issues they frequently ask him about. “What I always assure them is that for the most part, there is nothing new under the sun. Your proposition is not a ‘eureka’ one. It is more likely an offshoot of an old solution adapted to evolving challenges. As such, many other people have gone before you and encountered the same problems. One of the best ways to counter these problems is to get a business mentor and if possible, allow yourself to be incubated until you feel you can stand on your own two feet.”

Online mentoring allows Chris Kirubi to combine two of his passions: entrepreneurs and Kenyan youth. “There is much that I do behind the scenes but I remain most passionate about young people,” he says. “In fact, I have made it my life’s mission to belong to them. For me, this means understanding how young people think, what matters to them and seeing how best I can influence positive change. The truth is that ‘youth’ remains a most sought-after commodity – but it is also a very trying time because they have not quite concretized their identity. I am passionate about inspiring them to become who they want to be, in line with what matters to them. There are no limits to what they can perceive and consequently achieve.”

Chris Kirubi looks to global business icons for his own inspiration. “I am inspired by successful moguls like Richard Branson and Donald Trump,” he says. “These are individuals who are able to overcome their own personal hurdles, actively seek out new territories to conquer and actually excel despite others not believing in them. They are unconventional in their thinking and lifestyle, take huge risks and as a result, have created huge empires from their personal brands. I identify most with them but I am also very driven. In my personal life, I am inspired by my family and the fact that I have this talent, for which I must be an excellent steward. I do not take my abilities for granted.”

Chris Kirubi Wealth – Where to Next?

Motivated by his ongoing opportunity to transform Kenya’s economic landscape, Chris Kirubi says he wakes up every day and asks himself what he can do to make his country the place of his dreams. “As a member of the original team tasked with putting together Vision 2030, I was inspired by the possibilities of what we could become, and this vision still motivates me to date. I want to be at the center of positive change in Kenya, regionally and beyond. I want the world to know that when something good happens in Africa, it is not by accident. We have put in more than a fair share of personal and collective effort. It is Africa’s turn to rise and shine.”

Chris Kirubi Daughter Mary Ann Musangi

Billionaire Chris Kirubi’s daughter Mary Ann Musangi has been named to the seven-member board of K-Rep Bank, a move seen to entrench the family’s presence in the lower-tier financial institution.

Ms. Musang’s appointment could be interpreted as part of the emerging corporate culture of enhancing family presence in influential positions, which is aimed at softening decision-making and safeguarding family interests.

K-Rep is over 67 percent owned by Centum Investments where Mr. Kirubi controls a majority shareholding at almost 30 percent.
Ms. Musangi, a graduate from the UK’s University of Surrey, brings to the financial institution over 15 years of corporate experience, most of which was earned in the banking industry.

Chris Kirubi Contacts – Chris Kirubi Facebook and Chris Kirubi Twitter

https://twitter.com/CKirubi

Chris Kirubi My life

Dr. Chris Kirubi, businessman and entrepreneur, and his vast, fast-growing business portfolio represent the sheer scale and variety of opportunities for global businesses in Kenya.

As someone who built his infinite empire from a modest upbringing, Dr. Chris Kirubi is known for not walking away from a challenge but is best described as a man who aims for the galaxy. His multinational corporate empire started in the early 1970s as Dr. Kirubi discovered his niche in the real estate sector. He began purchasing old buildings and overhauling them for sale or rent. Now his corporate empire shapes sectors and ranges across leading industries such as manufacturing, real estate, investment, energy, and media amongst many others.

The top businessman has defied convention in many ways. He has established multinational brand companies, using his multi-sector expertise to create the homegrown Haco Tiger brands, Centum Investment and Capital FM – one of Kenya’s favorite radio stations.

Dr. Chris Kirubi drive for excellence saw him expand Haco industries from a distributor of American and British brands to a leading indigenous manufacturer of consumer products in East Africa. Soon afterwards, Chris Kirubi formed a joint venture with Tiger Brands, one of South Africa’s largest food manufacturers to establish Haco Tiger brands, the sole manufacturer and distributor of hair, skin, home and food products such as Miadi, Palmers, Bloo Acticlean, Beacon Chocolates as well as Bic pens; alongside many other household names.

As one of the main speakers at the recent Kenya International Investment Conference, Dr. Kirubi thrives with challenges and is a strong believer of hard work and healthy competition as a means to creating environments conducive to sustained business growth.

“There will always be challenges but what is most important is how you overcome them,” he notes, adding that: “This is where ‘the rubber meets the road’ and you have got to know what to do.”

As an entrepreneur, Dr. Kirubi believes in empowering businessmen and women through sharing opportunities, with the determination being the key ingredient in his own success story.

This year’s KIICO, the theme of which was “Think Investment, Make it Kenya” offered a platform to international, regional and domestic investors to consider business opportunities across various sectors of the Kenyan economy. The conference highlighted Kenya’s strategic role as a center for doing business with the rest of the world and provided a forum for investors, policymakers and businessmen, including Dr. Kirubi, to build a narrative on ways to enhance the business climate.

It is clear that Dr. Chris Kirubi is a force to reckon with – he says that “when working with me, it is either you go big or go home.” He continues to prove his words in action by one of his latest projects, Two Rivers Mall – an extraordinary project set to become one of the largest lifestyle mall in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Two rivers will be an urban realm that interconnects the public space with the retail center and sits on 100 acres of land that has been sub-divided to accommodate commercial, residential, hospitality, entertainment as well as lifestyle spaces,” he says.

The host at Capital FM added that Africa has become a focal point of global interest for investors and Kenya in particular, due its status as the gateway to East Africa and remains the destination of choice for not only investments in the country but for investors looking to explore other Eastern African markets.

“KIICO was a top opportunity for investors to meet and interact with business owners,” said Dr. Kirubi. He added that, through Kenya’s position as the business hub of the region, the Government has identified energy as one of the infrastructural enablers of the three pillars of Vision 2030, with an expected surge in energy use within the commercial sector on the road to 2030.

A major investor himself, Dr. Chris Kirubi is converting continued interest in business projects in Kenya into action – along with thousands of global companies, which combined, have doubled FDI into the country in 2014 compared to 2013, with investment amounting to $1.2 billion, according to the African Development Bank. Recognizing opportunities within the energy sector – a key focus for KIICO 2015 – Dr. Kirubi advances plans for the $300 million Akiira geothermal power plant in the Rift Valley county of Nakuru, which is expected to generate 140MW.

“We are going to have enough power to accommodate investors who come to establish factories to convert raw material to used goods. As we are part of COMESA, we need to take advantage of this and be the source of all the products produced in our common market.”

Chris Kirubi Interview

Updated: 17.01.2020

Interviewer: In what ways do you think falling sick has changed you and the people around you?

Chris Kirubi: One thing I’ve come to discover is that in the end you’re alone. Your friends may love you, but eventually you have to deal with your sickness personally. You think about the past, the things that you could have done, the things that you have not done, and what you can do to compensate for things you ignored. It is a time of reflection. And prayers from friends do help, a lot.

Being in a good hospital, with good doctors, adds a certain value to your life. I was just wondering what we can to do to make sure, in a poor country like Kenya, everybody receives the best treatment possible rather than mass treatment. Because to tell you the truth, if I had been here maybe by now I would be long gone.

Interviewer: Talking of which, it’s ironic that we’re all living towards our deaths. Are you more or less fearful of death after this experience?

Chris Kirubi: Death is rest. A rest from daily hustles. This is something that is irreversible. You’re born, you grow, you die. In the end, it doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter the age or what you do to try and elongate your life. But at the same time, nobody wants to die.

Interviewer: What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Chris Kirubi: Be yourself and trust in yourself. I was very young.

Interviewer: Did you set out to be this man you are now, successful and making moves? What was your ambition at 30?

Chris Kirubi: I never set out to make lots of money. I grew up poor. So I always dreamt from very early on that one day I’d make it. I believed in myself. I was disciplined. But I’m not yet successful. I have a dream. I still have more hills to climb. I work more now in my home than I worked in the office. I have five to six meetings in a day. Many people come to see me because I’m sick. My people want to come and consult with me. I still run my companies. I’ve never switched off.

Interviewer: You mentioned that when you were growing up, you wanted to “make it.” What is that? How did making it look in your books?

Chris Kirubi: You’ve asked a critical question. And that question is based on who I am, what I was and what made me believe that I could make it. It is the trust in myself. I knew if I worked hard, I would make it.

Interviewer: So when did you know you’ve made it?

Chris Kirubi: I’m still trying to make it. I’m building my dream house. I built this house we’re sitting in 30 years ago. I bought this land when this area had only white settlers. Roger Whittaker’s (who sang “My Land is Kenya”) parents lived across the bottom of my plot. To be successful you must trust yourself. Don’t believe in others’ judgement. Jesus Christ followed a very narrow path. The narrow path has its own challenges, but as long as you believe in yourself, you win. I don’t follow crowds. I only believe in one person; Chris Kirubi.

Interviewer: You still work even now when most would imagine you’d slow down. What are you working towards now? What are you working for? Obviously, it’s not money.

Chris Kirubi: I work for achievement.

Interviewer: Have you not achieved?

Chris Kirubi: No. I’m sure in your pocket you have one of my products. A medical card, a smart card… There is no medical insurer that isn’t using my smart application. My ICT company has nearly two million subscribers. I look forward to having four million and I’m sure by the time I have four million, I’ll want to have six million more. Why? Because I contribute to people’s wellness.

You bought land here 30 years ago and built a nice house. Now you want to build another beautiful home. You have two million subscribers and want to grow them to four million. Would you say making money is akin to chasing your tail, a never-ending cycle?

It’s ambition. Ambition is what makes life. The day you have no ambition you die inside. Anybody who says they’re successful, they’re satisfied, will not live long, they will get in a coma, metaphorically. So, ambition is part of living.

You have to continue being ambitious. There is always another hill to climb and you don’t see the end. Success is a mirage.

Interviewer: But how do you make sure that ambition doesn’t get harmful? That it doesn’t consume you like a ball of fire?

Chris Kirubi: (Chuckles) I’m not obsessed with money as such. I’m only interested in doing things that make sense. If I’m doing activities that bring me wealth, well and good. We give many scholarships to poor students; we just don’t make noise about it. We are doing a lot of work in Kilifi in this regard, a very poor county.

Interviewer: You have been doing business for dog years, how do you know that you will do business with someone when you meet them?

Chris Kirubi: (Pause) Instinct. I ask myself, ‘Do I feel I can trust you?’ However, I do business with international companies. I don’t like problems with people as might often happen when doing business.

Interviewer: Newspapers refer to you as a “mogul”. As a mogul, do you know how much you’re worth or you stopped counting?

Chris Kirubi: I also don’t know what a mogul is. (Laugher in the room) If people are not calling you a thief, a liar, then you don’t have to worry. If they’re calling you a mogul, a billionaire, you are being blessed with that wisdom to become one if you’re not already one.

I’m very proud that people think I’m a billionaire. It comes with perks, people answer my calls. Why? Because that is Dr Kirubi calling. But it’s important to continue developing yourself so that you do not let down the press that has accorded you that title. (More laughter).

Interviewer: You forgot to answer the other bit of the question – whether you know how much you are worth…

Chris Kirubi: I don’t know. I never count. Counting means looking back and I don’t look back.

Interviewer: Contentment and happiness. What is the relationship of these two in your books?

Chris Kirubi: Contentment is a yardstick of what you want to achieve. Happiness is an illusion. It’s what we all look for but describe differently. Is it flying your own plane? Is it driving a good car? Is it sitting with friends and talking? Is it drinking wine?

Chris Kirubi: Happiness is in your mind.

Interviewer: Are you happy?

Chris Kirubi: From time to time, yes. But what I know for sure is that you can only attain true happiness when you make others happy.

Interviewer: A man of your stature, I suppose that you always have many people you meet wanting something from you. What’s the one thing that you find most people want from you?

Chris Kirubi: (Scoffs) Money. Mostly. Some want jobs or access to it. People usually want help to succeed.

Interviewer: How does that make you feel?

Chris Kirubi: Proud and powerful that there are people that can trust me. That I can solve their problems. It gives me incentive to help them. Giving makes me happier than receiving.

I’m reading a book by Richard Reed, titled “If I Could Tell You Just One Thing…Encounters With Remarkable People…” What’s the one thing you can tell me about anything?

Believe in yourself.. It’s really up to you in the end, not anyone else.

Interviewer: What’s the biggest failure in your life?

Chris Kirubi: Not to have been a mogul by now. (Laughter in the room) I’m on a journey which no one can distract. I’m satisfied with where I am going.

Today I can order a new car from a dealer, they will send it to me. But is my ambition to order two or three cars? I’m not wasteful, I want to feel there’s nothing I want I can’t get.

When I want to look for better healthcare, I want to be able to fly to go see a good doctor. That is my satisfaction of wealth, that when the need arises you can meet those needs.

Interviewer: Are you closer to God now or less closer?

Chris Kirubi: I’m closer to God now because I’ve believed without God’s will I could not be who I am today. It took me many months lying in bed sick to believe that God is most powerful. And it’s a shame we always go to God when we need Him, but God will never turn you away because you came to Him later rather than earlier. God is merciful and forgiving.

Interviewer: Is there one thing you’d like to change about yourself?

Chris Kirubi: To stop working so much. I don’t know how to. I don’t know how to switch off. When I was sick in the US, I was still making calls. I didn’t know how to lie in my bed and be sick.

Interviewer: I want to learn to be more satisfied with the little I have.

Chris Kirubi: Of all your companies, and they are many, if they were to be taken away with the exception of one, which one would you save? Which one is after your own heart?

My my my. (Chuckles) I don’t know. I’ve never thought of that. (Pause) I don’t see it as saving a company or my favourite company, but as my relationships with individuals. It’s about relationships, not the companies.

Interviewer: How do you feed your mind at 79?

Chris Kirubi: By the constant and intentional belief that I can do anything I did at 25.

Interviewer: You’re building a massive dream home, have you thought of marriage, someone to share it with?

Chris Kirubi: Marriage comes to you and it is a blessing, but you don’t go chasing it around because you will get the wrong partner. If I’m blessed then I will be blessed.

Interviewer: What do you think is your one unique true talent?

Chris Kirubi: Thinking. I think positively. I also analyse things very quickly. I see patterns where people don’t and I connect them before they have figured it out.

Interviewer: Last question, are you a good person?

Chris Kirubi: It depends on what people think.

Interviewer: What do you think?

Chris Kirubi: What is good? That is a very broad question.

Interviewer: Do you have a good soul?

Chris Kirubi: I’ll have to sit with my pastor and discuss that. He will be able to tell if my soul is clean or rotten. I mean, you tell me, you have interviewed me. Am I a good interviewee?

Interviewer: You are.

Chris Kirubi: There you go.

Adopted From: Business Daily Africa

Chris Kirubi House

Chris Kirubi House is located in Bernhard Estate, Nairobi. Here are some photos…

Chris Kirubi buys Bentley worth over Sh30 million

There are certain exclusive perks that only billionaires across the world understand, take for instance the price tag on an item.

For them, the tag is a non-issue, they can buy the whole supermarket or car bazaar without breaking a sweat anyway

This is what Kenya’s flamboyant billionaire business magnate Chris Kirubi has done after he reportedly purchased a fresh out of the dealer Bentley Bentyga.

The Bentley according to some quarters is worth over a whopping Sh30 million after it was customized exclusively to his taste.