Chris Kirubi


Christopher John Kirubi is a Kenyan businessman, entrepreneur and industrialist. He is a director at Centum Investment Company, a business conglomerate, in which he is the largest individual shareholder.
He chairs the following companies: DHL Express Kenya Limited, Haco Industries Kenya Limited, Kiruma International Limited, International House Limited, Nairobi Bottlers Limited, Sandvik East Africa Limited and 98.4 Capital FM. He is also non-executive director of Bayer East Africa Limited, UAP Provincial Insurance Company Limited and Beverage Services of Kenya Limited.

Background

Chris Kirubi was born in 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 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.

Holdings

Kirubi's investments include but are not limited to the following: Centum Investment Company: 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. He owns 100% of Haco Industries Limited, a Kenyan household goods manufacturer. 98.4 Capital FM, is a Nairobi radio station, whose shares he owns 100%. Kenya Commercial Bank Group and Nation Media Group
In March 2020, he filed an application seeking regulatory approval to acquire another 20 percent of Centums shareholding, to add to the 30 percent that he already owned at that time. The deal involves the purchase of 133 million shares valued at KSh2.7 billion.

Former investments

At one time, Kirubi owned 9.58% of UAP Holdings, an investment and insurance conglomerate that provides investment and insurance services in the countries of Eastern and Central Africa. In 2015, he sold his shares to Old Mutual and exited the stock.

Philanthropy

Chris Kirubi is involved in a youth mentorship programme dubbed He drives his passion of empowering youth in Africa through online authorship and physical talks in High schools and Universities in Kenya.