Chris Kirubi is a name that for years has cemented its place in Kenya's lucrative Billionaires Club but very few people know how he amassed wealth to that impressive point.
In a sit-down with a popular series on Capital FM known as Ask Kirubi, the esteemed billionaire revealed that his strong footing started off in property development before he branched out to other industries.
In one particular instance, Kirubi narrated how he started off as a salesperson for an insurance company known as International House Limited before he later acquired its headquarters.
"(Success) was a combination but the property business was where I began. I started on a good footing.
"With International House, I worked for (the insurance company that was headquartered there). I used to sell policies and when they decided to close down their offices in Kenya, they offered me the opportunity to buy the building and supported me in talking to the banks and off we went. So property was always the foundation," he narrated.
He further revealed that it was easy for him to get grounding in property since, at the time of his starting, properties were easily accessible and at a lower price.
"Property was one of the easiest things to try to get into. Properties were not expensive as they are now. Today in Kenya it is almost impossible to buy.
"Back then, if you had a friend in the bank to support you it was easy to buy these assets," he continued.
Kirubi added that he used to acquire neglected properties, give them a facelift and sell them off owing that many people overlooked the sector.
"I used to buy neglected properties, do them up and flog them in the market. It was an area that there were not many people involved in, and it was a very profitable venture," he told Capital FM.
