List Of Richest People From Nyeri, Their Businesses And Properties

• The Africa Wealth Report 2023, released by Henley & Partners, showed that Kenya's millionaires grew by 30% to 7,700
• Among the richest people from Nyeri county are Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and the Mwai Kibaki family
• Former Nyeri senator Ephraim Maina is also one the richest politicians from the region with investments across diverse sectors of the economy

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto brings over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Kenya is one of the countries in Africa with the highest number of millionaires.

Individuals with a high net worth of over KSh 100 million living in Kenya increased to 7,700 in 2023.

The Africa Wealth Report 2023, released by Henley & Partners, showed that the trend grew by 30%.

This saw Kenya ranked the fourth wealthiest country in Africa, after South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria.

"The ‘Big 5’ wealth markets in Africa are South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, and Morocco. These countries together account for 56% of Africa’s high-net-worth individuals and over 90% of the continent’s billionaires," read the report in part.

Who are the richest people from Nyeri county?

TUKO.co.ke looked at the richest people from Nyeri county in no particular order.

1. What does Ephraim Maina own?

Former Nyeri senator Ephraim Maina is one the richest politicians in Kenya.

Maina is the founder of the multi-million Kirinyaga Construction Company, which generates revenue from huge contracts. The company has also spread its wings in the East African region, bagging road contracts in South Sudan.

He is one of the politicians who own choppers in Kenya. Under his name are two Bell choppers registered as 5Y–PSM and 5Y–MNW, according to Who Owns Kenya.

2. Thuo Mathenge's wealth

Former Nyeri gubernatorial aspirant Thuo Mathenge is a billionaire thanks to his investments in diverse sectors of the economy.

After working in MTRH and KNH, he invested his savings in nationwide clinics, earning him millions.

He used KSh 25 million to import chicks from the Netherlands before setting up a chicken slaughterhouse.

Speaking to Dr King'ori on the Wicked Edition, the businessman recalled how he saved and bought several parcels of land.

"The issue was saving in order not to go through what my family experienced at the time. I wanted to change the lives of my sisters and my brothers,” he said.

3. Gideon Muriuki

Gideon Muriuki is the group managing director and CEO of Co-operative Bank.

The experienced banker joined the lender in 1996 as a senior corporate manager and steadily climbed up the ladder.

In 1999, he was promoted to director of corporate and institutional banking before being appointed the bank's manager in 2001 after the bank reported a loss of KSh 2.3 billion.

With a bachelor of science degree in Mathematics and an honorary doctorate in business management, he has managed to steer Co-op Bank to become one of the most profitable financial institutions.

After buying 14.6 million additional shares at the lender valued at KSh 173 million, he took his stake to 2%.

Muriuki is paid a monthly salary of over KSh 30 million per month, making him the highest-paid CEO in Kenya.

4. Rigathi Gachagua's properties and businesses

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claimed he was worth KSh 800 million during the 2022 deputy presidential debate.

He dismissed claims he received over KSh 5 billion through fraudulent tenders.

"My account did not receive KSh 5 billion; that is propaganda. The money that I have is well documented. This is money I made during the reign of Mwai Kibaki when the economy was thriving. I made over Ksh.200 million and invested in an account and that account has been running for the last eight years," he said.

Among the companies associated with Gachagua are Wamunyoro Investments Limited, Encater Diagnostics Ltd, Skytop Agencies and Riang International Group Limited.

5. Kibaki family's wealth

Former president Mwai Kibaki left behind wealth valued at billions of shillings.

According to a six-page will he signed in 2016, Kibaki shared his wealth equally among his four children.

The four, Judy Wanjiku, Jimmy Kibaki, David Kagai and Anthony Githinji, were appointed the sole executors of the will.

Kibaki owned the 14 floors of Union Towers, which he sold to Mount Kenya University at KSh 800 million.

He also owned the “Gated Community", a real estate property with over 800 homes, a shopping complex, schools and other social amenities.

Under his name were several parcels of land and multi-million houses.