Business

Industrialist and Entrepreneur Chris Kirubi (DJ CK) Dies aged 80

Businessman Dr Chris Kirubi has Died. His Family confirmed the death of the of the Industrialist and entrepreneur.

Published

11 months ago

June 14, 2021

Kurian Musa

Photo: Courtesy

Businessman Dr Chris Kirubi has Died. His Family confirmed the death of the of the Industrialist and entrepreneur.

The Billionaire who owns Centum investment, Haco industries, Two Rivers mall and many other multi-billion businesses died aged 80.

“Top of the morning to you, my dear friend. It doesn’t have to be a tiring Monday. Instead, I bring to you good tidings of favour, success, achievements and happiness in the new week. Give yourself a go towards your success plan. Enjoy today and the rest of your week. #AskKirubi .” This was the last post by Kenyan businessman Dr Chris Kirubi hours before he died.

President Uhuru Kenyatta led the Country in mourning his friend Dr Kirubi. He sent condolences to the family, friends and relatives of businessman Christopher John Kirubi who passed away today. In his message of comfort, the President mourned Mr Kirubi, as a seasoned businessman, entrepreneur and industrialist who founded and successfully ran some of Kenya’s largest corporations.

“Besides his celebrated business acumen, Kenya will remember Chris a great coach and business mentor who raised some of our country’s best businessmen and corporate leaders,” President Kenyatta said.

He will be dearly missed by his family, two children, Robert Kirubi and Mary-Ann Musangi.

Capital FM Breaking News, where he hosted an Entertainment show as Deejay CK, posted on Twitter; “BUSINESSMAN Dr. Chris Kirubi who is also the Chairman of Capital Group Limited is dead, the family has confirmed.”

A statement by Centum Investment read; “It is with deep sorroe that we regret to inform you of the passing away today of Dr. Christopher J. Kirubi EBS, prominent businessman, investor and entrepreneur in Kenya and the East Africa region.”

Centum further said, as an investor, Dr Kirubi was invested in the manufacturing, Media, Real Estate, Insurance and investment sectors of Kenya’s economy. He was Chairman of Coca-Cola Nairobi Bottlers, DHL Worldwide Express, Capital Media Group, International House Limited, and Smart Applications among others. He was deputy Chairman of Bayer East Africa Limited.

The reknown Captain of the Industry was involved extensively with several African Governments. He served as the National Economic and Social Council, responsible for crafting Kenya’s blue print for growth, Vision 2030, under President Mwai Kibaki regime.

Dr Kirubi also worked with Government of Ghana as a Board Member of the Investors Advisory Council and as Ghanaian Honorary Consul General in Kenya (2000-2008). He also was the Honorary Counsel to the Republic of Mauritius in Kenya.

The business mogul served passionately as a promoter of Brand Kenya, as Chair of the Board between March 2016 to December 2017. He was devoted in transforming lives positively and got involved in different social causes.

At the time of his passing, he served on the Harvard Global Advisory Council (Massachusetts, USA) with a view to advising the institution on education matters of Africa. Moreover, he served on the institution’s Africa advisory Council honing in on specific needs of the continent and was also a founder Council Member of the African Union Foundation.

Former Vice President of Kenya Kalonzo Musyoka eulogized Kirubi: “My family & I are greatly saddened on the passing of Chris Kirubi. “CK” was the embodiment of entrepreneurship building lasting legacies. His last tweet this morning summed up his essence: “… Give yourself a go towards your success plan.” That he did. Rest now my brother CK.”

Deputy President William Ruto joined Kenyans in mourning the passing of one of the country’s most visible business personalities. “Chris Kirubi was an irrepressible boardroom operative, media personality, developer and investor whose interests traversed multiple sectors and enterprises.”

Related Topics:Business Chris Kirubi Entrepreneur Kenya

Up Next

Asharami Synergy promotes youth empowerment in Kenya with USD. 100,000

Don't Miss

Auditing the Auditor Places Internal Audit Above Board

Click to comment

Energy

Sahara Foundation Promotes Clean Energy With Sahara Impact Fund

Published

7 hours ago

May 17, 2022

Correspondent Africa

Sahara Foundation, the corporate citizenship vehicle of energy and infrastructure conglomerate, Sahara Group, has launched the 2^nd Cohort of the Sahara Impact Fund (SIF) and the Governance Unusual Program to support social innovators creating solutions that increase access to clean energy and promote sustainable environments.

The project reinforces Sahara Group’s commitment to bringing energy to life responsibly by connecting social innovators with opportunities that will enhance their contribution to eradicating energy poverty and enhancing environmental sustainability. The SIF is a strategic partnership involving Sahara Foundation, Ford Foundation, LEAP Africa and Impact Investors Foundation.

The Sahara Impact Fund will provide seed funding of $5,000 each for successful finalists, including incremental funding access based on impact, reach and sustainability matrices targeted at supporting young social entrepreneurs in Africa. In addition, the Fellows will have mentoring sessions with business leaders at Sahara Group and other private sector partners, to scale up clean energy and sustainable environment innovations.

The inaugural cohort of the SIF produced Fellows from Cameroon, Nigeria, Rwanda and Malawi who are spearheading transformative solutions through their businesses. According to Damilola Asaleye, Co- founder- Ashdam Solar “The learnings from the Sahara Impact Fund fellowship have become a daily guide for my organization to achieve our strategic plans of providing access to clean and affordable energy for all in Nigeria.”

“In addition to the seed capital, which was a great boost to my business, I have also built professional networks with like-minded passionate entrepreneurs from all over Africa,” said Ghislain Irakoze , Founder, Wastezon, Rwanda.

Pearl Uzokwe, Director, Sahara Foundation, said the Sahara Impact Fund and Governance Unusual program will reinforce ongoing conversations around increasing entrepreneurial capacity and inspiring a paradigm shift in governance through individual responsibility. “We are delighted to lead and join the quest of ensuring that no one is left behind when it comes to energy access and shore up expertise and capacity towards providing global solutions for environmental sustainability. We urge social innovators across Africa to apply to be part of this movement today,” she said.

Uzokwe said applications for the SIF are open from 9^th May 2022 to 30^th May 2022. “Full details of the application process are available across our social media platforms @iamsaharafdn and the Ujana Hub at www.ujanahub.com. Enquiries can also be sent to sahara.foundation@sahara-group.com,” she added.

The maiden edition in 2021 exposed the ten (10) social innovator fellows to blended capacity building sessions in the form of workshops, webinars, immersion sessions, facility tours, cohort meetings, mentoring sessions, one-on-one strategy & finance sessions and Fire chat sessions.

Since inception, Sahara Foundation has implemented various projects across its locations in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, impacting the lives of over 2,000,000 beneficiaries, with youth accounting for over 50% of the beneficiaries.

Energy

Asharami Synergy Targets 30% Aviation Fuel Market Share To Enhance Economic Growth

Published

7 hours ago

May 17, 2022

Correspondent Africa

Asharami Synergy Limited, a Sahara Group Downstream Company, is investing in technology and innovative solutions to enhance its capacity to fuel seamless economic growth through operations in the aviation fuel market.

Asharami Synergy Limited, which is Nigeria’s first indigenous energy company to operate as an independent Aviation Fuel Marketer, controls about 25 percent market share in the industry, operating as the preferred aviation fuel market for local and international airlines.

Foluso Sobanjo, Head, Sahara Downstream Business, at a press briefing in Lagos, said investments in infrastructure, human capital transformation, quality, health, safety, and environmental sustainability continues to drive service excellence in the organisation.

He said Asharami Synergy would leverage its technology driven supply chain efficiency across the Downstream value chain to deliver distinctive value and innovative solutions in the market. “We have been at the forefront of Oil and Gas enterprise in the West African region for over twenty years.”

In addition, “Asharami Synergy has a formidable presence in the sector, providing best-in-class fuel procurement and distribution solutions by utilizing innovative technology and improved efficiency across the downstream supply chain. Our quest for increased market share is borne out of our commitment to transforming the sector and spurring economic development,” Sobanjo said.

Asharami Synergy operates in four countries in the Africa and has a combined storage capacity of 81 million litres of Aviation fuel otherwise known as ATK.

The company has over 30 million litres storage capacity for ATK across various locations in Nigeria as well as a fleet of ultramodern bowsers spread across various locations, fueling the development and growth of the national and sub-regional economy by providing seamless access to safe and reliable ATK.

Sobanjo said “safety first and always” is the mantra that drives operations in Asharami Asharami Synergy, a development that has earned the company multiple International Standard Organisation certifications.

He said being a strategic partner of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) gives Asharami Synergy a global credibility that is driven by a statutory self-responsibility that propels its business operations in compliance with the highest global standards.

“Asharami Synergy has several ISO certifications; ISO 9001:2015 (Quality), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental) and ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety). This reinforces our commitment to bringing energy to life responsibly in all our operations. Our mantra is Safety First, Safety Always, ensuring that the health and safety of our employees and other stakeholders remains top priority in all business operations,” he added.

Asharami Synergy is a vertically integrated and foremost downstream company in the West African region with established and formidable presence in the sector, providing best-in-class fuel procurement and distribution solutions by utilizing innovative technology and improved efﬁciency across the downstream supply chain for over twenty years.

The company emerged from a consolidation of Sahara Group Downstream Companies with interest in procurement, storage, and distribution of white products across Nigeria.