An image of President Uhuru Kenyatta driving locally assembled vehicles at State House Grounds, Nairobi excited many who witnessed the milestone.
Unknown to many that the man driving alongside him was Adil Popat the Executive Chairman of Simba Corporation, the company behind the local assembly of the Mahindra Scorpio Single and Double cabin pick-ups that Uhuru drove.
The vehicles impressed President Uhuru that he instructed the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to immediately institute incentives aimed at reducing taxes for vehicles that are fully assembled locally.
The company was founded in 1948 by the late Abdul Karim Popat as a modest used-car selling enterprise, but has since grown into a large integrated multi-sector business services group representing international vehicle brands and franchises in Kenya.
Adil took over the reins of the company in 2007 and served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) before he rose to the position of the Executive Group Chair in 2017, four years after father's death.
According to a report by the Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC)'s Kenya Family Business Survey of 2018, the company had morphed into one with an annual turn over of Ksh10 billion and employs over 1300 people as at the time.
Most of the changes that drove the company to making such revenue were recorded to have taken place after 2007, when Adil took over as the Chief Executive Officer.
"Since 2007, Simba Corporation has experienced great change and diversification. The group grew its auto dealership portfolio with the introduction of BMW, Mahindra, and Renault franchises as well as a separate division, Africa Fleet Management," the report reads.
The report also adds that it was at this point that the group ventured into hospitality with the building of the Olare Mara Kempinski Camp, the Villa Rosa Kempinski and Simba’s own branded hotel, the Acacia Premier in Kisumu.
According to Adil's LinkedIn profile, he has also acted in the position of CEO and Managing Director of Simba Vehicle Rentals for more than 26 years, and also heads Bavaria Auto, the BMW Franchise holder for Kenya and Tanzania.
Adil holds and Undergraduate degree in Finance and Marketing at the University of Washington and a Masters Degree in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
