A Chinese proverb states that the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. The adage seems true in the rags to riches story of billionaire Chris Kirubi whose notable journey begun as a poor orphan to a business mogul.
Popularly referred to as CK, Kirubi has been in the business environment since the 1970s amassing over fifty years of experience as well as immense wealth in the process.
According to the 2011 edition of Forbes Magazine, Kirubi's net worth was valued at Ksh30 billion- a figure that may have risen over the years.
Before the limelight and plethora of money, Kirubi came from a humble background. Born in 1941, Kirubi was the firstborn in the family, which dealt with abject poverty at the time.
His situation became worse after both his parents later on passed away, which prompted Kirubi to take up the mantle as the firstborn and fend for his younger siblings.
At first, in order to survive, they relied on neighbours and family members. Soon after, Kirubi landed a few odd jobs in order to make ends meet.
His break came when he landed his first job as a salesman for Shell, an oil and gas company. Among his duties involved selling gas cylinders and fixing faulty ones as well. He then landed another opportunity as an administrator at Kenatco, a government-owned-transport company.
In 1971, Kirubi embarked on the business of buying rundown properties in Nairobi through his savings, renovating and selling them for a huge profit. This move was the launch of his real estate career.
Through the venture, Kirubi was able to secure loans from financial institutions which enabled him to purchase huge tracts of land in Nairobi's posh areas. He put up residential and commercial buildings on the pieces of land for rent.
The businessman went on to acquire Haco Company in 1998, a notable investment as he was able to transform the company from a distributor of international products to a manufacturer of local brands.
Kirubi ventured into the media industry by purchasing Capital FM in 2008, an upcoming radio station at the time, which he managed to transform into a well-established brand in the media space.
Among other investments and notable companies, the businessman is involved in include DHL Express Kenya ltd, Coca-Cola Nairobi Bottlers Limited, Smart Applications International, and Centum Investment Company.
Apart from his official work, Kirubi was well known for his involvement in various international bodies. He worked with the Ghanaian government as a Board member of the Investors' Advisory Council and as Ghanaian Honorary Consul General in Kenya between 2000 to 2008.
Further, he was a founder council member of the African Union foundation and served on the Harvard Global Advisory Council whereby he advised the council on education matters regarding Africa.
To his family life, Kirubi has two children; Robert Kirubi, who works as the head of Global Customer Programs at DHL Service Logistics while his daughter Mary-Anne Kirubi works as the Managing Director for one of his companies, Haco Industries. She also runs Olpul restaurant which is situated at Two Rivers Mall, Nairobi.
The businessman, known for his motivational quotes on social media, usually urged youth to take the mantle of success. Kirubi met his demise after succumbing to cancer on Monday, June 14.
