Editor's Review

A report by Oxfam International has ranked Sameer Naushad Merali as the wealthiest person in Kenya. 

A report by Oxfam International has ranked Sameer Naushad Merali as the wealthiest person in Kenya. 

According to the report, Sameer Naushad Merali has a fortune of  $790 million (Sh89.6 billion). He is is the CEO of Sameer Investments Ltd

Mr. Sameer Merali is the heir to the late businessman Naushad Merali who passed away in July 2021. The late Merali was the Chairman and founder of the Sameer Group of Companies.

The Sameer Group of Companies is a leading conglomerate in Kenya (and has a regional presence in East Africa) with interests in Agriculture and Agribusiness, Trading and Commerce, Construction and Engineering, Commercial and Leasing. 

Coming in second is Bhimji Depar Shah with a fortune of $750 million (Sh85 billion).

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{Bhimji Depar Shah)

Mr. Shah, is a businessman, industrialist, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and current chair of BIDCO Group of Companies, a  family-owned manufacturing conglomerate with businesses in 13 African countries.

Coming in third is Jaswinder Singh Bedi at $680 million (Sh77.1 billion) and Mahendra Rambhai Patel ($430 million/Sh48.7 billion) whose family owns the Ramco group. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta ( and in extension the Kenyatta family) was ranked fourth with a fortune of $530 million (Sh60 billion). 

The Kenyatta family has investments in banking, the hotel industry, and telecommunication. 

{President Uhuru Kenyatta and his mum Mama Ngina Kenyatta.}

Some of the companies owned by the Kenyatta family include Brookside Dairy, Heritage Hotels, and the Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA). 

According to Oxfam, "Between 2016 and 2021, the number of individuals with wealth over $50 million increased from 80 to 120. Their combined wealth increased from $12.73 billion to $17.4 billion, an increase of 36.8 percent, adjusted for inflation," said Oxfam of Kenya’s wealth study report. The report is expected to be officially released this morning.