NCBA Group has announced the sponsorship of 100 high school students for a 4 year period in Kenya’s leading secondary schools. This announcement was made yesterday 26th February 2024 at the NCBA House during the official handover of the various cheques to the partnering Scholarship Foundations drawn from across the country.
The launch was graced by the regional bank’s Group Chairman and leading shareholder Mr. James Ndegwa, Group Managing Director Mr. John Gachora, the Basic Education Director General at the Ministry of Education Dr. Dr.Elyas Abdi, a host of participating foundations such as Palmhouse Foundation, EdumeD Trust, Dr. Choksey Foundation, MPESA Academy, Daraja Academy, KENSAP, SOS Children’s Villages Kenya and WEDCO and several NCBA Sponsored beneficiaries.
Through the NCBA Group Sponsorship program, the bank has successfully supported hundreds of beneficiaries through their high school studies for over a decade now and continues to transform lives in line with their new rallying call of promoting sustainability dubbed: “Change the story”. The beneficiaries present shared their incredible journey from their humble backgrounds from which they were raised and how NCBA stepped in through the foundations to change their story and society at large.
The Group MD noted at the Cheques’ handover, “At NCBA, we share a commitment to foster education and inspire greatness, shape the narrative for the future. I continue to uphold this pledge by driving change through NCBA’s ‘Change the Story’ Sustainability initiative.’ He further added, “We are celebrating the power of education! Through partnerships with organizations like Edumed Trust, Palmhouse Foundation, and others, NCBA is ensuring access to quality education for students across Kenya. Together, we’re shaping a brighter tomorrow!”
NCBA Group Sponsorship Testimonials
Such success stories included Dr. Choksey who had previously been sponsored by the bank, went on to become a doctor and founded the Dr. Choksey Albinism Foundation that now works closely with the bank to support students with albinism to go through school and eliminate the associated stigma. Another success story was of Dr. Mary Mugure who was sponsored through the PalmHouse Foundation. She recounted how she had to resit her KCPE Examinations in 2008 even after securing great results to gain her admission in a national school the previous year. And thanks to the NCBA support, she went on to become a doctor and now serves at the at the AIC Kijabe Mission Hospital.
Besides these phenomenal stories was one shared by the NCBA Group Board Chairman Mr. James Ndegwa of one of the beneficiaries of the bank as quoted; “Victor Wambani is a beneficiary of our scholarship scheme through the Palmhouse Foundation that took him through Alliance High School then later pursued a bachelor’s degree in Utilization and Sustainability of Arid Lands at Laikipia University. He is now self employed running his own real estate company called Valuable Homes Ltd. He is currently our Valuable Customer at the Kakamega Branch”.
NCBA Group Climate Sustainablity
The group has also gone beyond the education program support and now has now embraced the climate action initiative as well. Currently the bank has a million tree seedlings farm in Karura Forest and has contributed to the planting of over 150,000 trees countrywide already. Furthermore, the bank was the first financier to finance the electric vehicles project with a Ksh. 2 billion kitty enabling the uptake of over 5,000 units and now has plans to support the rollout of charging stations across the city and other locations in Kenya.
In conclusion, the bank has many other projects targeting the communities in which it operates its business across the regions. Some of the projects include the Ghetto Classics team comprising of youths drawn from various Nairobi City’s slums and have now embraced music and other entrepreneurial activities. The group provided the entertainment at the event and performed the group’s current brand camapign dubbed “TWENDE MBELE!”. You can watch and listen to it here.
IconPrime Properties Ltd’s name came up during our compilation of this year’s Top 30 Male Real Estate CEOs in Kenya listing and based on the various boxes ticked through the selection process, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Victor Michael Amollo landed on this inaugural class at Position 16. Icon Prime was founded by a couple, one Victor Amollo and Winnie Maina. As expected, our team wanted to dig deeper into this new real estate firm that is taking off delivering one plot at a time.
We had a rare opportunity to meet and engage with the CEO at his offices at Spur Mall Ruiru along Thika Road on how he got where he is right now, the kind of upbringing he went through and how that impacted his future life and most importantly, the sustainable strategies the company has put in place to ensure the growth of the Icon Prime Properties brand. This is Victor Amollo’s inspiring journey to the top.
Early Life
Victor was born to a humble family in the heart of Busia County – the westernmost part of the country neighbouring Uganda – where he recalls his early years as being very challenging. Going to school with a torn uniform, walking barefooted and not really finding a sense of purpose while in Primary School especially due to poor results can be a recipe for disaster. And this case was exacerbated further by discouragements from the people closest to him. From his own admission, the stage had been set for failure as he did not even anticipate joining high school!
But as fate would have it, his turning point was to come not far from finishing his KCPE exams after his parents passed on leaving them orphaned. As part of the succession plan to ensure that they were well catered for, the young Victor and his younger siblings were adopted by their uncle and became one big family. A decision that would effectively give him another chance to dream and design a different path for his future life. This is how it unfolded:
Given his unimpressive results in the runup to the KCPE Exams coupled with the demise of his parents some few months to the KCPE, he did not perform well and therefore didn’t expect to gain admission to a secondary school – at least that’s what he had grown up knowing. However, his uncle chose to give him the chance to pursue his secondary education in a local school nearby. This surprising turn of events was the spark that Victor needed to pivot his life. A journey that would eventually lead to the establishment of the Icon Prime Properties brand.
As a result of the offer from the uncle to go to high school, he decided to instead repeat Class 8 in his former primary school where he shocked everyone by emerging first position in his indexing exam. He maintained Top 3 spot till his KCPE exams in which he came third in the school.
“When I ranked top 3 in my first exam when I went back to the same school that I used to be among the bottom 20 in a class of 80+ pupils less than a year ago, I realized it was possible to achieve anything. I now started creating more time to study with an aim of not going below Top 5, equally earning me a place to proceed with high school studies.” Victor quips. A promise that he clearly kept.
This transformation was consequently not to end at the primary level as he continued on this growth trajectory through his secondary school still within Busia County to set an unassailable record of maintaining the first position from Form 2 up to the time he sat for his KCSE exams in which he led the school with an A- grade landing him the 52nd spot in the Top 100 KCSE Students in Western Kenya Province in the year 2006 and third best candidate in the then Busia district, now Busia County. He later on earned admission to Kenyatta University (KU) for his Bachelor’s degree.
On his main goal and strategy of pursuing excellence in high school, he knew that the only sure way for him to better his life was qualifying for the university to undertake a bachelor’s degree through HELB sponsorship. The Higher Education Loans Board is a government authority that provides low cost financing for students who gain admission to institutions of higher learning when they attain a certain grade during their KCSE Examinations. And as fate would have it, Victor was selected amongst the beneficiaries in his cohort to be supported through university thus the success we celebrate today.
Previous Work Experience
Prior to co-founding Icon Prime Properties with his wife, Winnie Maina, Victor Amollo had worked as a Medical Technologist at the Pathologist Lancet Kenya since 2011. He worked at the company rising through the ranks from internship level to eventually being granted the responsibility of setting up the Lancet Laboratories in Tanzania where he and other colleagues successfully steered the subsidiary and in turn gained the much-needed startup experience that would later prove invaluable in his entrepreneurial journey. He then returned to the country after this assignment in Tanzania with a resolve to start building his business on the side as well.
Awards won at a recent event.
Together with his wife, they started venturing into private business on the side with one of the initial ventures being horticulture farming in Mwea region. This is a journey he remembers making like three times a week very early in the morning to check on the farm and returning to still clock in for his day job. In addition, the couple had another income stream through matatu business which had been secured through savings at that time.
“Our goal was to get to a point where our main expenses as a family would be carried comfortably by our side hustles. This journey enabled us to add a second matatu bus that was secured through financing thus expanding our income even further. Over time, all these efforts set the stage for our first company that exists to date; Petals Hygiene and Sanitation Services.” He reminisces on those times. After seeing the positive direction their hustles were taking, Victor and his wife quit their employment in 2015 to fully concentrate on building their business venture(s).
Building Petals Hygiene and Sanitation Services Ltd
Next on his checklist was the co-founding of Petals Hygiene and Sanitation Services Ltd, a company focused on the provision of quality hygiene and sanitation services for their corporate and government agencies in need of such services. The company has been in existence for close to 9 years now and deal mainly in Commercial Office cleaning, Sanitary Disposal Services, Landscaping, Garbage and Medical Waste Disposal, Fumigation and Pest Control Services. Over the years, they have built a solid reputation in the housekeeping and hygiene line of business and today Petals Hygiene is a big household name to many consumers of this very services.
And with the experiences and contacts built over time, Victor and his wife eventually decided to take a plunge into the real estate industry, a passion they had harbored over time. They had a clear determination of going above and beyond to deliver to their clientele as well as redeem trust in the industry that had long gone due to rogue business personalities in the sector. They were also keen in providing affordable, value added and strategically located iconic properties.
Thus the birth of Icon Prime Properties Ltd.
About IconPrime Properties
Unlike the popular belief that a real estate brand should have been in the market for a relatively long time for it to be considered a success, we believe the cumulative corporate experience gained by the couple in their respective companies has been the biggest reason that has catapulted this brand this far. The dynamic couple attributes the success of their ventures to being resilient, trusting one another, a never give up attitude, embracing the ability to learn from own mistakes, complementing each other person’s ability and the fear of God in their lives.
IconPrime was incorporated in 2019 but actively came into business in the last quarter of 2021 and currently boasts of land projects across the Nairobi Metropolitan region in highly sought after locations such as Ngong, Kikuyu, Juja Farm, Kangundo road among many other areas that also include Diani. The other thing that sets the company apart from its peers is the fact that the company owns the properties in which it transacts therefore guaranteeing the customers a safer investment experience given the murky waters that the real estate industry has been in Kenya for some time.
Motivation To Startup Founders
As a motivation to anyone aspiring to try their luck in business, his resounding advise includes; the need to take risks, shunning off fear and following your dreams and passions by starting out early. He further advocates for consistency by putting in small efforts consistently which eventually elevates one to a level of achieving the big dreams.
Furthermore, the IconPrime Properties CEO believes embracing a positive mindset not only has the capacity of making one scale heights they never imagined possible but also enables one to develop habits that optimizes the quality of life that they seek. Finally, he acknowledges that God also plays a key role in ensuring the success of the business world hence the need to put Him before all endeavors. On the family’s role in accelerating one’s success, he says “the family that you create is more important than the family you come from,” underscoring the critical role that his wife continues to play within the corporate ecosystem of the companies they run and how his close family inspires and motivates him to keep going.
On the future of the company, he is very optimistic on the prospects of the firm given the rate at which it is growing. “The best is yet to come. Progressively we are making tangible strides. We see Icon Prime being a top real estate development firm through great customer service experience and consistently and seamlessly meeting the needs of Kenyans and those in the diaspora who are aspiring to fulfill their dreams of home ownership and wealth creation through property ownership, ” he concludes.
Most Profitable Saccos in Kenya: According to data obtained from the SASRA Sacco Supervision Annual Report 2022, saccos have remained as a very lucrative investment avenue for millions of Kenyans. The Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA), the government agency mandated with regulating the sacco movement in Kenya has revealed that they have continued to witness a steady income growth by saccos with the total income significantly increasing based on year to year growth by 11.13% from Ksh. 108.59 billion in 2021 to close the 2022 year at Ksh. 129.68 billion.
Furthermore, the sacco mambers received Ksh.49.14 billion as interest paid on their deposits being over 40% share of the total saccos’ income that year. Another key data set from the report showed that the Deposit Taking (DT) – Saccos made over Ksh. 106.50 billion while the Non Deposit Taking Saccos raised Ksh. 14.18 billion accounting for a paltry 11.75% of the total revenues realized for the year.
With this in mind, these are the top 20 most profitable saccos in Kenya currently.
20 Most Profitable Saccos In Kenya
1. KENYA NATIONAL POLICE DT SACCO
The Society was registered on 20th November 1972 with a membership of 690 and has grown to the current membership of 72,000 with an asset base of KES 49 Billion, a loan portfolio of KES 41 Billion and a KES 29 Billion total deposit. The sacco is currently Kenya’s most profitable sacco with a massive profit of Ksh. 7.94 billions made in 2022.
2. MWALIMU NATIONAL SACCO
The Mwalimu National Sacco has a total asset base of Ksh. 64.06 billion while the sacco’s total deposits stood at Ksh. 47.29 billion. For the year, the sacco made over Ksh. 7.74 billions making it the second of the most profitable saccos in Kenya.
3. STIMA DT SACCO
The Stima Deposit Taking Sacco had a total asset base of over Ksh. 53.78 billion while the total deposits stood at Ksh. 39.43 billion at the time of the report. In terms of profits, the sacco made Ksh. 7.40 billions.
4. HARAMBEE SACCO
1969 at the Office of the President (OOP) a great idea was born. The employees of the Office of the President (OOP) came together and established a merry-go-round. The objective was to create a vehicle to promote a savings culture among themselves. And Harambee Sacco was born. Today, with over Kshs. 37.01 Billion in assets and Kshs. 23.70 billion, the sacco has cemented itself amongst the greats in Kenya gaining over Ksh. 4.79 billion in profits for that year.
5. IMARISHA SACCO
Imarisha Sacco has been in operation for over 44 years serving over 160,000 members spread across the country. Its asset value stood at Ksh. 19.82 billion and the total deposits being Ksh.14.08 billion. The profits for the year was Ksh. 3.32 billions ranking Imarisha at position 5 amongst the most profitable saccos in Kenya.
6. UNAITAS SACCO
Unaitas Sacco ranks at number 6 with its profits for the year under review being Ksh. 3.27 billions with an asset base and total deposits standing at Ksh. 20.40 billions and Ksh. 11.02 billions respectively.
7. TOWER SACCO
Next is Tower sacco with its profits for the year being Ksh. 2.86 billions while the sacco’s total asset base and deposits stood at Ksh. 19.57 billion and Ksh. 14.54 billion respectively.
8. AFYA SACCO
The sacco was registered on 8th May 1971 by some twenty founder members/promoters. Membership has grown progressively over the past forty years and to date there are over 38,000 members. Afya Sacco’s asset base was Kshs. 20.94 billions, total deposits being Ksh. 15.63 billions and the year recorded profits of Ksh. 2.79 billions.
9. GUSII MWALIMU SACCO
The Gusii Mwalimu Sacco made Ksh. 2.10 billions in 2022 making it 9th of best performing saccos in Kenya. The Sacco’s asset base was Ksh. 12.85 billion and deposits at Ksh.9.2 billion.
10. UNITED NATIONS DT SACCO
The United Nations Deposit Taking Sacco had a total asset base of Ksh. 16.70 billion, the toal deposits stood at Ksh. 12.56 billion with the profits being Ksh. 1.94 billion for 2022.
11. UKULIMA SACCO
The Ukulima Sacco had an asset base of Ksh. 14.66 billion while the total deposits were Ksh. 10.25 billion. Interms of profits, the sacco made Ksh. 1.91 billion.
12. IMARIKA SACCO
The Imarika Sacco had an asset value of Ksh. 11.67 billion with the total deposits being Ksh. 7.48 billion. The profits for the year was Ksh. 1.80 billions.
13. INVEST AND GROW (IG) SACCO
As at 2022, the IG Sacco’s asset base stood at Ksh. 12.96 billion with the total deposits being Ksh. 7.04 billions. The profits were at Ksh. 1.80 billion.
14. WINAS SACCO
The Winas Sacco made a profit of Ksh. 1.76 billions in 2022.
15. TRANSNATION SACCO
Ranking at number 15 is Transnation Sacco which made profits of over Ksh. 1.74 billions in 2022.
16. SOLUTION SACCO
Solution Sacco made Ksh. 1.74 billions.
17. BANDARI SACCO
Bandari Sacco had an asset value of over Ksh. 12.01 billions, total deposits of Ksh.7.54 billion and the profits made were Ksh. 1.59 billion.
18. MENTOR SACCO
The mentor sacco had a total asset base of Ksh. 11.77 billion, deposits stood at Ksh. 8.91 billion while the profits were at Ksh. 1.57 billions.
19. HAZINA SACCO
The Hazina Sacco ranked at 19 with an asset value of Ksh. 12.76 billion, total deposits at Ksh. 9.66 billion and the total profits were Ksh. 1.51 billions.
20. KITUI TEACHERS SACCO
The Kitui Teachers Sacco closeed our ranking of the most profitable saccos in Kenya with profits of Ksh. 1.46 billion.
The Valuable Brands Realtors Award Nominations are now open. With the awards selection process set to take the whole of this first quarter, the nominations have now been opened across the 27 Categories spread across the Property Development, Sales, Management and other related services.
The awards are segmented into three as follows:
VALUABLE BRANDS AWARDS CATEGORIES
1. PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT
In this segment, we will be identifying and recognizing the various Valuable Brands in Kenya operating in the subsector such as residential development involved in residential project delopments for apartments, estates, homes; commercial developments involved in commercial projects such as shopping malls, office complexes, industrial parks; interior design among others. The Valuable Brands Kenya will be seeking to celebrate the several companies and brands pursuing excellence in the sectors that they are operating.
The Award Categories for this year include:
Residential Property Development Brand
Commercial Property Development Brand
Architectural Design Brand
Interior Design Brand
Sustainable Property Development Brand
Mixed Use Development Project
2. PROPERTY SALES, MARKETING & AGENCY
In this segment, Valuable Brands Kenya will be seeking to recognize and celebrate the various real estate brands demonstrating excellence in the real estate agency market such as land selling, property management, home selling among many other subsectors.
The Award Categories for this year include:
Property Management Company Brand
Property Investment Cooperative Brand
Low Cost Landselling Brand
Diaspora Focused Real Estate Brand
Women Owned Real Estate Brand
Youth Owned Real Estate Brand
Most Promising Real Estate Brand
Fastest Growing Real Estate Brand
Overall Real Estate Brand
Value Added Landselling Brand
Most Resilient Real Estate Brand
3. PROPERTY ASSOCIATED SERVICES
The real estate sector is not complete without recognizing the various brands offering related services such as paints, cement, roofing solutions amongst many others. The selected Valuable Brands Awards Categories for this include:
Paints Brand
Roofing Solutions Brand
Smart Home Solutions Brand
Property TV Show Brand
Construction Cement Brand
Interiors Finishes Brand
Property Finance & Mortgage Lending Brand
Property Management Systems Brand
Security Solutions Brand
VALUABLE BRANDS REALTORS AWARDS NOMINATIONS
A. Submission of Nominees
The Valuable Brands Awards Selection Process kicks off with this Call for submission of Nominations for the various award categories. The call for nominations will be undertaken for the next 3 weeks while the inhouse research team does the initial shortlisting of the submitted entries.
B. Official Awards Announcement
The Official Announcement of the Valuable Brands Awards will be made after the submission of the nominees have been made and shortlisted. During the launch of the Awards, the shortlisted nominees will be made known to the media through an organized press briefing together with the unveiling of the Key Strategic Partners for this Inaugural Edition. Some of the partners so far onboard include Robisearch Ltd offering the technological support, Doubleshasa Ltd as our main branding partner, Tenacity Locks Ltd among many others.
C. Judging and Finalist Selection
The third phase of the selection process will involve the Judges shortlisting the TOP 3 FINALISTS per the 27 Valuable Brands Awards Categories. The announcement of the finalists will be made in March to pave way for the media team to develop a clear brand strategy for promoting the successful brands across the media channels such as social media, mainstream media.
The timely announcement of the finalists will also give an excellent opportunity for the development of the Valuable Brands Magazine featuring the several brand winners and real estate companies that will have participated in this edition. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the Valuable Brands Realtors Magazine will be distributed for free across the larger Nairobi region in leading hotels and restaurants, beauty salons, C-Suite offices among other key locations.
D. Awards Gala Night
Once the whole process is completed and the winners settled on, the Valuable Brands Realtors Awards will then culminate into the Awards Gala Night to be held on the 5th of April 2024 from 5.00PM at a location to be communicated in due time within Nairobi.
E. VALUABLE BRANDS AWARDS LEVELS
This inaugural awards will feature the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards levels for a number of categories while others will only have the Gold Award Levels getting trophies. This will be determined by the number of nomination entries made by a company and the diversity attracted by the award category involved.
Top Real Estate CEOs in Kenya 2024: For this list, we celebrate their incredible corporate achievements and diligence exercised in driving their companies to excellence. We review the various real estate companies across the property market involving the property development, interior design, property agency among others. This comes barely a month since our listing of the Top 10 Women Real Estate CEOs in Kenya.
Here is our Top Real Estate CEOs in Kenya – Male edition.
1. PETER NYAGA – MD, CERTIFIED HOMES LTD.
Through 2023, he has successfully steered the company into a behemoth launching a number of real estate projects across the country in locations such as Diani in Malindi, Joska Malaa, Ruiru and with new upcoming ones in Konza and Eldoret. For a company incorporated less than a decade ago, we celebrate this achievement.
2023 was definitely the biggest growth year for the company with the firm delivering a number of high value projects such as Mytown Mall Karen, the Kisii Retail Center, Danka Plaza in Kilimani and now with plans for another strip mall in Bamburi set for this year.
3. DR. GEORGE WACHIURI – CEO, OPTIVEN REAL ESTATE
For a company that is set to celebrate its silver jubilee next year, Dr. Wachiuri has created an incredible team behind him driving this immense growth into several regions in the country such as Nanyuki, Naromoru, Malindi, Nakuru and now has gotten to Kitale. And last year also saw the company ventured into the property development segment with the establishment of Optiven Homes Ltd.
4. SAM KARIUKI – CEO, MI VIDA HOMES LTD
Last year was the CEO’s first full year at the helm of Mi VIda Homes and through his leadership, the firm has launched various projects such as the 1,150-unit Keza Residence, 640 – unit 237GC and Amaiya Project. Furthermore, the company has recently sold out their Garden City Housing Project within the Garden City Development.
5. KENNETH MBAE – MD, CENTUM REAL ESTATE
Kenneth Mbae is undoubtedly the youngest managing director heading a top tier real estate company in Kenya with property development interests at Vipingo in Kilifi County, Pearl Marina in Uganda and the Two Rivers Social City in Nairobi. Under his leadership, the team has successfully repaid a Ksh. 2.95 Billion bond through a mix of cash payments and transfer of housing units hence keeping Centum RE’s balance sheet healthy.
6. ANDREW MUTHEE GITAU – CEO, AMG REALTORS
AMG Realtors has experienced tremendous growth during the rein of the founder and now Executive Director, Andrew Muthee Gitau. During 2023, he steered the company to launch several projects and expand into newer locations such as Sagana in Kirinyaga County.
7. REUBEN KIMANI – CEO, USERNAME PROPERTIES LTD
We all know that being recognized among the Top Real Estate CEOs in Kenya demands that you have done something spectacular during the period under review. And for Reuben Kimani, last year was the moment when the company surprised its outstanding sales executive with a brand new Mercedes! And while the firm has always prioritized its workforce before, they have now also launched another project dubbed “Nawiri Pamoja”, a project focused on uplifting the communities in which it operates. No mean achievement by this incredible leader.
8. MOSES MURIITHI – CEO, FANAKA REAL ESTATE
Moses Muriithi clearly earns his place among the Top Real Estate CEOs in Kenya as the company had another great year of growth. Besides this, the end the year saw the firm treat its staff on an all expenses paid holiday at the coast while the Employee of year got a cheque of Ksh. 1 Million shillings. We ackowledge this spirit of putting the team as the first priority.
9. DR. HEZEKIAH KARIUKI – CEO, COMFORT HOMES LTD
Dr. Hezekiah Kariuki is the CEO of Comfort Homes Ltd and thrugh his leadership has grown the company successfully to deliver land projects in locations such as Kitengela, Isinya, Ruiru, Syokimau, Mai Mahiu, Ol Kalou, Kilimambogo and Konza.
10. JOHN MWAURA – CEO, FINSCO AFRICA
For a company that has exponentially grown from being a property marketing agency to now offer its own gated community development projects in under 3 years, we celebrate the CEO as among our inaugural Top 30 Real Estate CEOs in Kenya. With no doubt, the efforts and diligence that went into conceptualizing the Thika Grove Chania would not go unnoticed.
11. KINYUA WAIRATU – CEO, MAONO LANDS INVESTMENTS
Doubling up as the founding chairman of the Association of Real Estate Stakeholders (RESA), the CEO unwavering efforts in supporting the regularization of the sector for the benefits of all real estate stakeholers goes a long way. And he epitomises this in his leadership of Maono Lands Investments Ltd. A company he founded in 2016.
12. CLEOPHAS NYAGAKA – CEO, FINE URBAN INTERIORS
Cleophas Nyagaka earns his spot on this list thanks to his company’s tremendous contributions in the adoption of High end interior design concepts in Kenya. Through his firm’s accounts accounts across Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Youtube, the company showcases and promotes the emerging interior design market hence pushing the bar high.
13. ABUBAKAR MKUMBUKA BANZI – CEO, KOMBANI HOMES LTD
Being the only ranked CEO outside Nairobi, Abubakar has played a significant role in reshaping the real estate market in the coastal region where the company is based.
14. NAFTALI MWANGI – CEO, HYSSOP PROPERTIES
Naftali Mwangi is the founder and CEO of Hyssop Properties Ltd. Under his leadership, the company has curved out its niche in property marketing agency assisting buyers get available land and housing projects available in the market across the country. The firm also sells their own land projects.
15. DANIEL OJIJO – CEO, KENYA HOMES EXPO
Unlike all the other Top Real Estate CEOs in Kenya listed due to their direct interests in real estate agency, Daniel Ojijo is recognized for his contributions through the bi annual homes expo bringing together the real estate stakeholers and buyers for over 17 years now. Daniel also runs a property management agency within his Homes Universal portfolio.
17. VICTOR AMOLLO – CEO, ICONPRIME INVESTMENTS LTD
Victor Amollo is one of the most promising real estate players having driven the company within two years to have land projects spread across the region. Interestingly, most of these achievements can be attributed to 2023 with an incredible team behind him.
17. DAVID MWANGI – CEO, WESTHILL SHELTERS LTD
David Mwangi is the Chief Executive Officer of Westhill Shelters Ltd, a real estate company based in Nairobi with land projects in Juja Farm, Ruiru among other locations.
18. DANIEL KAMAU – CEO, FUSION ESTATE MANAGEMENT / FUSION CAPITAL
Within the 2023 period, the fund management company, Fusion Capital established its real estate subsidiary- Fusion Estate Management and placed under the leadership of Daniel. And in less than a year, the subsidiary has grown to rival the established firms in the real estate market with the main achievement being the operationalization of the Greenwood City Mall in Meru.
19. KEN MUGOH – CEO, MADARAKA HOMES
Ken Mugoh is the Managing Director of Madaraka Homes Ltd. A real estate company based in Nairobi with interests in Nanyuki, Diani, Joska and now with a new project in Konza.
20. JAMES MACHARIA – CEO, TOPCARE LANDS LTD
James Macharia is the CEO of Topcare Lands Ltd with projects in Joska, Juja among many other locations.
The Other CEOs among the TOP REAL ESTATE CEOS IN KENYA include:
It is transition o’clock at AMG Realtors as the founder and CEO Mr. Andrew Muthee Gitau from whose initials the company derives its name, is stepping down as the Chief Executive Officer to take up the Executive Director Role at the company. During his 11 year stint as CEO, he steered the company through the rough terrain of real estate to become one of the biggest real estate companies in Kenya.
According to an official statement from the company, Mr. Martin Githinji has been appointed the new CEO having served in the company for over 8 years spanning various departments and most recently being the Company’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Throughout his tenure, he has demonstrated commitment to serving you in your investment journey passionately & relentlessly. We have full confidence in Martin’s ability to lead us into the next chapter of growth and success.”, the statement reads in part.
Previously, the new AMG Realtors CEO Martin Githinji is a former communications consultant at Bayer Kenya and formerly worked as an associate editor at the Kenya News Agency Cooperative Limited. He got his bachelor’s in Commerce from the KCA University and had done Broadcast Journalism at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC).
Meanwhile, Mr. Andrew Muthee Gitau becomes the company’s Executive Director providing insights and overal leadership to the Board of Directors and the company.
Valuable Brands Kenya is pleased to announce the upcoming Valuable Brands Awards to be held in March 2024. The first edition is predominantly focused on the wider real estate sector and seeks to acknowledge, recognize and celebrate the established and emerging brands changing lives through their product and service offerings in Kenya.
With the real estate market boasting of some of the country’s dynamic brands and based on the lucrative nature of the sector, alot of efforts and guidance are needed in providing a framework of ensuring that building brands in the sector is consistent with the needs of the target clientele. Doing so also guarantees value to all the related stakeholders within the society in which they operate. Creation of clear brand recognition strategies and support that steers positive competition among them and promotes brand collaborations is what sets Valuable Brands Awards apart.
About Valuable Brands Kenya
You may have come across some of our latest rankings and recognitions of various key real estate personalities and our highlighted brand stories in Kenya so far. Valuable Brands Kenya runs an online brands magazine on this site. For instance, we released our first ever listing of the Top 10 Women Real Estate CEOs in Kenya.
Aprominent list that not only recognized the established personalities in the industry such as Ms. Nancy Muthoni of Property Show With Nancy that airs on KTN Home every Sunday, but also new entrants in the sector such as Mary Diana of Modern Homes Ltd. The Overall ranking for 2023 is as follows:
Top 10 Women Real Estate CEOs 2023
Another recognition listing that we have recently done is the Top 3 Persons Of The Year In Real Estate In Kenya. We named the 3 individuals that really shaped the sector in 2023 as Mr. Peter Nyaga of Certified Homes, Dr. George Wachiuri of Optiven Ltd and Mr. Mwenda Thuranira of Myspace Properties Ltd.
Valuable Brands Person of the Year 2023
Upcoming Valuable Brands Listings
As Valuable Brands Kenya continues to develop its brands recognition guidelines and ranking system, we anticipate more diverse sectoral listings featuring industries such as Manufacturing, Agribusiness, Education, Healthcare, Automotive, Technology, Energy, Media, Fashion and Apparel, Transport and Logistics among others.
Currently, our next upcoming Listing is featuring the TOP 30 MALE REAL ESTATE CEOs.
When it comes to our inaugural Person of the Year, entrepreneurship is not just about numbers that translate on the balance sheets and financial statements. It is about numbers that translate to transforming lives, creating social change and inspiring a generation that believes in hardwork, strategy and most importantly, confronting the status quo.
It is about constantly questioning the way things have always been done and finding ways to fastrack growth by leveraging opportunities that come along the course of building a brand. For instance, must building a successful brand and company take a decade? Is it always about having experience that sets true entrepreneurs apart from the wannabes? Can one not only achieve corporate success but still use the chance to improve the lives of the people around them? And the cardinal of all, what differentiates the true brand leaders from their peers?
For the 2023 period, we focused on the wider real estate sector CEOs and Founders and how they have impacted the sector through the many programs and projects undertaken in the year under review. Based on this, our team shortlisted THREE incredible individuals whose contributions were so immense that they actually contributed a hugh chunk of the number of projects in the market.
These amazing founders include Dr George Wachiuri who not only leads one of the most resilient property companies – Optiven Ltd – having clocked 24 years in operation last year but also invests heavily in business mentorship programs We also congratulate him on his recent conferment of two honorary doctorate degrees. Dr. Wachiuri has built a reputable brand that not only believes in profits but in lowering a helping hand to uplift the economy as well.
The other key personality is Mr. Mwenda Thuranira, the CEO of Myspace Properties who has worked tirelessly to not only introduce but see to it that the strip mall concept became a reality in Kenya. He successfully delivered the Mytown Karen Mall with the Nyali and Kisii Town Malls set to open soon. Mr. Thuranira has also invested heavily in the Isiolo community through supporting educational programs through his Mwenda Thuranira Foundation.
Finally, there is Mr. Peter Nyaga, the Founder and Managing Director of Certified Homes Limited. A man under whose leadership the company has experienced an exponential growth and with it, turned many customers into investors, influencers into brand ambassadors, given a beam of hope unto the vulnerable and ensuring sustainability while at it. This is why we celebrate Peter Nyaga as the inaugural Valuable Brands Person Of The Year 2023.
Peter Nyaga’s Background
Mr. Nyaga got introduced to adversity at a very young age when his mother passed on while he was still in Primary school and had to be sent to a boarding school – which posed many challenges in raising school fees and for high school, he almost missed his admission due to reporting a whole two months late! This kind of upbringing would definitely make one start thinking outside the box. The one thing that most likely pushed him into business from that early age from selling sweets and biscuits to classmates in high school to eventually establishing his own real estate firm many years later. A decision that would pay off in millions. Literally. Academically, Mr. Nyaga holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Purchase and Supply Chain Management from the Presbyterian University of East Africa.
As you would expect it, it was never a perfect meteoric rise to wealth void of missteps and encountering a number of challenges. The humble upbringing taught him humility and simplicity that would later enable him to easily dine with kings and the commonfolk and treat everyone with dignity. Another humbling experience occurred during the 2017 general elections in which he unsuccessfully vied for an MCA Seat in Tharaka Nithi County. Besides these two, Peter Nyaga would find himself in deep debts when he indulged himself into the luxury life of the city on making his first million! A time that would clearly transform his life philosophy and with it, choosing it pursue something bigger than himself. A purpose that would change how real estate is done in Kenya as we know it.
A story he vividly captures in his first book: Achieving Your Dreams.
Building The Certified Homes Brand
In what would be described as a master stroke of risk taking and ingenuity combined, He together with his team established the Certified Homes brand just as the Covid-19 pandemic was creating uncertainty across sectors and economies globally. Yet with the company’s target clientele being the diaspora community, tow things were likely to happen: Either the firm would rise above the challenges and march towards greatness or be strangled at its infancy by the disrupted value chains within which it operated. Interestingly, the company was able to launch successfully more than five land projects across the country in its first year!
Furthermore, he has delivered several projects with the main being KWITU Gardens Phase 1 comprising of 38 units and now on Phase 2 of 40 units. Meanwhile these are at various levels of completion: Sukari Heights awaiting handover in April 2024, the Diani Holiday Homes, KWITU Holidays Malindi, The Bliss Ruiru, Diani Beach Plots, Juja Executive among many others.
To be selected a person of the year by Valuable Brands, we place a huge emphasis on your brand building process. We seek to explore the various unique brand strategies and expansion plans responsible for getting your company at its current position in the market. Undoubtedly, the founding and growth of Certified Homes as a brand has achieved its place. We discovered some of the strategies as outlined below:
Use of Brand Ambassadors Globally – Building a brand around your target clientele is a must when pursuing brand excellence. Infact, trying to get as close to them as possible is an excellent way to achieve this. Mr. Nyaga understands this probably more than any other in the country with bringing onboard Brand Ambassadors from across the world. These Ambassadors not only act as representatives of the disapora clients within the firm’s community but also create an effective communication loop for new projects, investment opportunities and any upcoming plans by the company. Currently, the company has brand ambassadors in ALL States in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Scotland, all African Countries, all United Arab Emirates amongst many others. Locally, he works with a number of influencers such as Mama Baha, DJ GeeGee, Mchungaji, Moya David.
A unique brand name – The real estate sector is the one economic segment that is built and maintained by trust. And when it comes to branding as well, a name means more. This is something the person of the year got right by naming the firm Certified Homes. A brand that continually works on ensuring value for investors and insistence on dealing with properties with certified documents. Therefore making a commitment to their customers of doing their much needed due diligence on behalf of the investors.
Leveraging Brand Opportunities – The company has a keen eye for branding opportunities within and outside the country. Especially platforms that grow its brand awareness such as Coroporate events such as participating at the Kenya Homes Expo, The Realtors Expo, The Realty Expo by Nation Media; social events such as diaspora tours by musicians and even the Churchill Show.
A Culture that Celebrates Excellence – As the brand experts say, All you have to do is to take care of your employees and you will not have to worry about your customers. This is true of Peter Nyaga as he empowers his staff with appreciation tokens and even handing the best performing ones cars! This kind of incentives not only drive the team but also creates a culture that celebrates excellence.
Community Driven Philanthropy
As is the old saying, money does not really change people, it exposes who they are and Peter Nyaga chooses to take this to heart with the several community programs supported by his company. For instance, he has always opted to celebrate his birthdays with the vulnerable kids in the Children’s Homes by marshalling friends and colleagues to promote them. Further to this, Certified Homes currently sponsors over 20 students across the country in notable schools such as Meru School and Mary Leakey Girls. Unlike many scholarship schemes, the company offers full support ranging from the school fees, uniforms, pocket money etc to ensure the total peace of mind and concentration to studies.
The biggest milestone being a student, Simon Gathanga who successfully finished at Kagumo High School and now pursuing Acturial Science at the famed Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT). Read the story by TUKO.CO.KE here.
Peter Nyaga receives Simon Gathanga at his office
Special Interest Groups Support
In conclusion, empowerment is no longer just about giving. Empowerment is now embodied in creating sustainability to ensure dignity is maintained and self sufficiency as well. Mr. Peter Nyaga does this by offering seed capital to the various widows and People with disabilities that the firm supports. The supported groups are assisted to start tailoring businesses, farming and easy to run projects.
PERSON OF THE YEAR 2023: PETER NYAGA
We therefore present to you our inaugural Person of the Year Recognition : Mr. Peter Nyaga, the founder and Managing Director of Certified Homes Ltd. Valuable Brands Kenya says congratulations.
As 2023 comes to an end, Valuable Brands Kenya takes stock of the last 365 days reviewing some of the trailblazing milestones and achievements by the various women real estate stakeholders and founders leading some of Kenya’s most successful and upcoming firms. Here is our inaugural list of the Top 10 Women Real Estate CEOs that shaped 2023 in Kenya:
1. Nancy Muthoni – CEO, Property Show With Nancy / First Avenue Properties
Nancy Muthoni is the Founder and CEO of Property Show With Nancy that airs on KTN Home every sunday. The show highlights the various new real estate trends, available property investment opportunities and other real estate solutions. Furthermore, Nancy runs First Avenue Properties and Upscale Homes which deal in real estate agency and home construction services respectively. She tops this inaugural list for being a trailblazer in promoting home ownership amongst Kenyans.
2. Leah Wambui – CEO, Cheriez Properties
Leah is the founder and CEO of Cheriez Properties. A property development company focused on high end homes projects with Projects in Kitengela. From humble beginnings of hope and resilience, she’s been able to build a strong company that now not only provides bespoke real estate solutions but also offers interior design and home construction services for clients.
3. Anne Mwai – CEO, Bama Diaspora
Anne is definitely among the key women real estate CEOs in Kenya revolutionizing the industry. Through her diaspora focused company, Bama Diaspora, she provides investment alternatives to investors mostly based in the USA hence contributing to the building of trust in the highly volatile sector. She has been a mentor to several upcoming realtors and a host of women venturing into the business world.
4. Lizzie Costabir – CEO, BuyRent Kenya
BuyRent Kenya is undoubtedly an essential part of the real estate agency ecosystem in Kenya. And sitting at the helm is Lizzie Costabir, a phenomenal woman who’s working round the clock to create a more responsive content management system that creates more value for buyers, sellers and agents who leverage on the platform to transact safely. As the real estate market bounced back amid an ever rising need for real estate properties, BuyRent Kenya rose up to the occassion to facilitate the engagements thus earning Lizzie a spot on this list.
5. Sarah Wahogo – CEO, Safaricom Investment Cooperative
Sarah Wahogo has been at the helm of Safaricom Investment Cooperative for slightly over a year and her contributions to one of Kenya’s leading members’ investment co-operative are clear. Coming in at a time when the firm had no organizational challenges to steering it into a reputable company worth emulating is no mean feat. The cooperative has now create real estate agency platform called SIC PRIME connecting buyers, renters, developers and sellers.
6. Mary Diana – MD, Modern Homes
Mary Diana is the face of the young women real estate CEOs in Kenya taking content creation by storm! Through her Youtube Channel and other social media platforms, she has been able to cut herself a niche in showcasing various real estate projects and properties available for sale and rent across the country. And as they say, consistency is King and she’s definitely the queen at not just Modern Homes but also redefining how real estate marketing is done in Kenya.
7. Jane Baiyu – CEO, Amara Realty
Jane Baiyu makes to this inaugural list being the founder and CEO of Amara Realty Limited – a company offering property investment opportunities to Kenyans both within and in diaspora. Through her efforts and wide experience in the sector, Amara Realty has undergone steady growth and become a company of great repute for modeling by new entrants in the market.
Princess Caroline Mutisya is the CEO of Legacy Estates and also doubles as the Managing Partner of CR Advocates, a legal firm based in Nairobi Kenya. Legacy Estates offers real estate investment solutions in various locations in Kenya and has embarked on contributing towards rebuilding trust in the general real estate conveyance services and hence encouraging investors to consider the highly lucrative property business in Kenya.
9. Charity Nyoike-Baur – CEO, Nisiri Ventures
Being the only CEO making the list from outside Nairobi, Charity is the founder of Nisiri Ventures Limited – a real estate company based in Nanyuki providing investment projects in the vast Laikipia County. She has been a leading business leader, mentor and investor in the vibrant Nanyuki region and continues to inspire a new generation of women realtors not only in the area but in Kenya at large.
10. Ruth Mbula – CEO, Rubrina Properties
Finally on our list of Women Real Estate CEOs in Kenya that shaped 2023 is another youthful founder of Rubrina Properties who is also revolutionizing the way Youtube is used in marketing real estate properties in Kenya. She is a testament that with determination and objectivity, you can build a brand from nothing, literally!
In conclusion, Valuable Brands Kenya celebrates these phenomenal women and the brands they have built over time. We will hold the Valuable Brands Awards to acknowledge, recognize and celebrate the various brands impacting lives in Kenya in the real estate sector across all value chains. For more details, please email us on award@valuablebrands.co.ke.
The Kakamega Orthopaedic Hospital has a story. It is definitely one of hope, relentlessness and optimism when a team with a common dream come together. As fate would have it, the founder of the hospital, the late Dr. Alushula who was a reknowned orthopaedician in Kenya passed on just when the new facility was complete and ready for opening during the pandemic! The hospital had previously been operating for decades at its facility opposite Sheywe GuestHouse at Kefinco off the Holden Mall.
But luckily for this new promising company, the teams would quicky converge their efforts to make it work beyond everyone’s expectations. Perhaps in honour of its great founder who had benevolently built the brand and reputation. And now fast forward, we are celebrating the hospital turning one year old while offering all health services you may think of while creating hundreds of jobs!
I bet your question then would be: Why Kakamega Orthopaedic Hospital?
Here are the reasons:
1. Homely Environment
The truth is, when it comes to a health facility , all you care about is homeliness and the ability of its environment to make you feel relaxed. We all know an element of greenery goes a long way. And this is what Kakamega Orthopedic Hospital understands more than anything else. The hospital is a very welcoming place that is well spaced, structured and designed hence giving you a peace of mind as you seek the top-level services in their offering. If there’s a group which appreciates this are kids and everytime you visit you will definitely see a bunch playing around. Isn’t this something to consider the next time you think of hospitals near you?
2. Proximity to the Kakamega – Webuye Highway
When it comes to health issues, we all agree that there’s nothing that beats proximity and accessibility of a hospital, especially where a highway is involved. Luckily for you, the hospital is found right on the highway. Besides the facility is only 5 minutes drive from Lubao Market, less than 20 minutes drive from the Kakamega CBD and under 10 minutes drive from Malava Town thus catering to a much larger community that had been underserved before its establishment. With its vast space comes lots of free and secured parking amenities for all visitors as well.
Furthermore, those using public transport like Matatus and Tuktuks or motorbikes can easily connect from town and alight right at the hospital’s gate. This is clearly the kind of convenience you deserve – so that you focus entirely on getting back to your feet and productivity. Right?
3. A Wide Range of Services
Well if we break the whole concept to the basics, a hospital is the place where we go for health related services. The Kakamega Orthopaedic Hospital’s core business is without doubt health provision and with it comes a wide range of services ranging from several types of surgeries, laboratory and pharmacy, Physiotherpay, X-ray and Ultrasound imaging.
It further provides an array of specialist services such as ENT (Ears, Nose & Throat) experts who ensure your wellbeing around hearing, swallowing, speech, breathing, sleep challenges and the allergies that arise from there. The other specialist categories include Obsetrics and Gynaecology focused on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum concerns; Orthopaedics from which the hospital credits its brand name and finally Paediatrics for children related services.
4. Kakamega Orthopaedic Hospital Funeral Home
Funeral Home
I’m imagining the last thing you want a review on is the morgue. Nevertheless here we are! This is how the ultramodern funeral home at the hospital looks like. The ambience and serenity it guarantees the loved ones of the deceased will contribute greatly in providing solace and peace to them as they mourn their loss. The facility can hold upto 50 bodies at a time and the two specialised gazebos gives a chance to the family’s an opportunity to rest as they come to terms with their sad realities. Two at a time.
In conclusion, the future shines bright on the Kakamega Orthopaedic Hospital as a company and a health brand as it embarks on its second year in operation. A journey of creating more employment oppotunities, empowering the communities and people coming from and wide, revitalising the local economy and being one of the biggest healthcare investors in Western Kenya.
Pictorial Tour
For more details, kindly call the hospital on 0713 473 199
