Uhuru Kenyatta is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya. Uhuru Kenyatta took up the position of president in 2013 and served in the position for nine long years, close to a decade, before stepping down from his position in September 2022. The former president Uhuru Kenyatta’s net worth is estimated to be around $500 million, as he was considered the successor of Daniel Arap Moi, who served as the second President of Kenya. He held the office from 1978 to 2002 and is the longest-serving president in the history of Kenya.
Even though Uhuru was expected to succeed Daniel Arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki won him over in the 2002 presidential election. In his political career, Uhuru has also served as Raila Odinga‘s deputy prime minister from 2008 to 2013.
Uhuru Kenyatta – Early Life
Uhuru Kenyatta, son of the first president of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, and his fourth wife, Mama Ngina Kenyatta, was born on October 26, 1961. He was born the second child in the family, and he has two sisters, Christie and Anna Nyokabi, and a brother, Muhoho Kenyatta. Uhuru attended St. Mary’s School in Nairobi, and upon completing his education, he joined Amherst College in the United States. He studied subjects like economics, politics, and government at the college.
After completing his college education, Uhuru returned to Kenya and started a business. Wilham Kenya Limited, which was started by Uhuru, concentrated on sourcing and exporting agricultural products from Kenya.
Uhuru Kenyatta – Career Beginning
Even though he was born into a strong political family, Uhuru Kenyatta started his political career in defeat. Uhuru started his political career in 1997, when he contested the general elections for the Gatundu South Constituency. The seat was once held by his father, but Uhuru did not succeed in winning it. He was defeated by Moses Mwihia, who was an architect from Nairobi. After the election, Uhuru was appointed chair of the Kenyan Tourism Board in 1999. These events paved the way for Kenta’s political scenario. By 2001, Uhuru Kenyatta was nominated as a member of parliament, and he also joined the Cabinet as Minister for Local Government.
Uhuru Kenyatta Net Worth and Salary
Uhuru Kenyatta was born into one of the strongest and wealthiest political families in Kenya. As per the reports, Kenya is the largest economy in the East African Community and is also the third largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa. In present-day Kenya, the Kenyatta family is one of the wealthiest families, and they have a hold on almost all major businesses in the country. According to the available reports, the former president of Kenya is considered to be the fourth richest man in all of Kenya and is estimated to have a net worth of $500 million as of 2022. The wealth is attributed to the vast business empire owned by the Kenyatta family.
Being one of the strongest families in Kenya, both in terms of politics and finance, they have businesses in different fields like banking, milk processing, land, real estate, hospitality, media, and transport. Being the richest family in the nation, the scion of the family, Uhuru Kenyatta, is currently the authority over this vast business empire.
Uhuru Kenyatta – Business Ventures
Uhuru Kenyatta, the scion of the Uhuru family, now holds the key to multiple business ventures that are scattered over almost all sectors of the nation. Some of the most notable businesses owned by the Kenyatta family and thereby the scion are;
- MediaMax Group
The MediaMax Group is an independent media house that controls, operates, and runs K24 TV and Radio, Milele Radio, Emoo FM, Msenangu FM, People Daily, and also K24 Digital. According to the available reports, they have 40 million radio listeners, 35 million TV viewers, and a monthly reach of 11.3 million on social media.
- Brookside Dairies
The company, which focuses on the production of milk products, has been in the field for around 25 years and has operations in over 12 countries on the continent. As per the reports for 2020, they control over 67% of the market.
- Heritage Group of Hotels
This group of hotels includes Voyager Camp and beach resorts in Tsavo and Mombasa. They also operate intrepid camps in Samburu and the Maasai Mara and a golf hotel in Naivasha.
- Beta Healthcare
Beta Healthcare, under the ownership of the Kenyatta family, is situated on Mogadishu Road in the industrial area of the capital city of Nairobi.
- 500,000-acre farm
Along with their other businesses, the family also owns large patches of land all throughout the country, and that land is used by the family to grow crops for export and also to rear livestock.
It is true that the list does not include all the businesses owned by the family. They also have multiple ventures outside the country, which were exposed by the “Pandora Papers.” This showed how the then-president and his family used their offshore companies to get rich.
Uhuru Kenyatta – Personal Life and Relationships
Uhuru Kenyatta was born as the son of Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of Kenya, and his wife, Mama Ngina Kenyatta. Uhuru Kenyatta became the president of Kenya in 2013 and stepped down from the position in September 2022. Uhuru Kenyatta got married to Margaret Gakuo in 1991. The couple has been together since, and they have three kids together. Their children are named Jomo, Jaba, and Ngina.
Awards and Honors
Uhuru Kenyatta has been an essential part of Kenya’s political history, so he has been honored in many ways over the course of his life. Here are a few of the notable awards received by him.
He holds the Guinness World Record for the youngest Kenyan president. In 2015, he received Africa’s President of the Year award for his service during the 2014 – 2015 year. Recently, he also received the African Gender Award from the African Union for the year 2022.
Even though Uhuru Kenyatta held a strong position in the country, he and his family were part of some major controversies that came up throughout the years. Uhuru was even associated with a case with the International Criminal Court for possible crimes that he committed against humanity. The family was also exposed for accumulating wealth from their offshore businesses when Uhuru served as president of the nation.
