Said Abdallah Azubedi, who died on Monday, February 25, will be remembered as an unusual tycoon in the country’s history since he lived as an ordinary needy Kenyan in a sprawling slum environment.
The tycoon was buried on Tuesday at a Muslim cemetery in Nakuru where he lived most of his life.
Azubedi didn't have flashy fuel guzzlers as is the common thing with the wealthy in the country. He was, however, a proud owner of a 1971 Peugeot 504 despite the fact that he was believed to own around half of the prime properties in Nakuru’s CBD.
Mr Azubedi also had no bodyguard and would be hardly recognized as a person that would stand out in a crowd of commoners.
When he was not engaged with matters that would deserve his attention such as court cases or tribunals, one would find him serving customers at Tabaruk Cafe close to the Shabab matatu stage in Nakuru town.
He was both the cashier and the supervisor at the café, which was also the place where hundreds of his tenants in the town would come to pay their rent directly to him.
Azubedi was also sociable and accessible to all, from street children to prominent business people and politicians albeit he maintained unkempt hair and did not wear suits.
His style of fashion also surprised many since he loved to wear flip-flops. He was also media shy and often declined interviews choosing to be a man of few words.
Among his properties in Nakuru town are commercial buildings in the CBD, mansionettes in Milimani Estate, rental houses in Langa Langa Freehold, and Gikomba Complex.
Many could not understand why the wealthy man preferred to stay in Bondeni slum yet he owned not less than a quarter of the houses in the area.
His house in Bondeni also served as his main business centre when he started a business of distributing cigarettes and soft drinks in areas of not only Nakuru, but also Nyandarua, Baringo, Kericho, and neighbouring centres.
Azubedi was, however, not short of controversy particularly on matters of land. Former Nakuru MP Mirugi Kariuki was vocal with the 2003 Hansard report wanting to know the owner of prime land in Nakuru CBD.
The MP was curious about a little-known man who surprisingly claimed ownership of the piece that was right next to the town’s wholesale market.
The Assistant Minister for Internal Security at the time, Orwa Ojode, quickly answered the MP stating, “The current owner of plot No LR Nakuru Municipality Block 10/197 is Mr Said Abdalla Azubedi.”
People who knew the man, however, describe him as a generous person.
“Although he was not so generous to himself, he is a known giver and played a major role in helping the Muslim community by contributing generously during Islamic events. He was considered one of the biggest donors during Iftars and Islamic holidays,” indicated former Bondeni Councillor Gibe Kassim in a report by The Standard.
His brother, Ali Azubedi, described him as, “He was who he was. No one, not even his wife and children, could change him. He lived as he wanted... we cannot fault him for that.”
The tycoon is survived by seven children, a widow, Washuka Samira, daughter of Nakuru businessman Jeremiah Mbaria.
