Muhoho Kenyatta (born c. 1964) is a prominent Kenyan businessman and corporate executive. He is a member of the powerful Kenyatta family, the son of Kenya’s founding president Jomo Kenyatta, and the younger brother of former President Uhuru Kenyatta. He is known for maintaining a low public profile while actively managing the vast, multi-sector Kenyatta family business portfolio.
Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Muhoho Kenyatta |
| Born | c. 1964/1965 |
| Parents | Jomo Kenyatta (Father); Mama Ngina Kenyatta (Mother) |
| Brother | Uhuru Kenyatta (Former President of Kenya) |
| Key Role | Executive Chairman & CEO of Brookside Dairy Ltd. |
| Education | St. Mary’s School, Nairobi; Bachelor of Arts (Political Science/Economics), Williams College (U.S.) |
| Significance | Principal steward of the Kenyatta family’s business and financial interests. |
Education and Business Philosophy
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Elite Education: Muhoho attended the prestigious St. Mary’s School in Nairobi and later studied Political Science and Economics at Williams College in Massachusetts, U.S., graduating in 1985.
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Hands-on Approach: Unlike his elder brother, Uhuru, Muhoho has largely avoided active politics, focusing instead on growing the family’s inherited wealth. He is noted for his disciplined, hands-on, and often low-profile approach to running the businesses.
The Kenyatta Business Juggernaut
Muhoho Kenyatta is the central figure in the management of the Kenyatta family’s diverse economic empire, which is one of the largest and most influential in East Africa.
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Brookside Dairy: His signature role is as the Executive Chairman and CEO of Brookside Dairy Limited. Under his leadership, Brookside has expanded aggressively through acquisitions (including Delamere, Molo Milk, and Kilifi dairy brands) to become the largest dairy processing company in East and Central Africa, with operations in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, and a partnership with the global food giant Danone.
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Banking and Finance: He has served in senior roles, including as Vice-Chairman of the Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) before its merger with National Industrial Credit (NIC) Bank. He remains a significant director and shareholder in the resulting entity, the NCBA Group Plc.
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Media and Hospitality: He also oversees the family’s investments in other sectors, including the Mediamax Network Limited (which owns K24 TV and People Daily newspaper) and the Heritage Hotels East Africa group.
Controversies and Public Influence
Despite his preference for operating outside the public glare, Muhoho’s position as the primary manager of such a vast economic empire inevitably draws political and public scrutiny.
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Political Backroom Player: Though not an elected politician, he has reportedly played an important, discreet backroom role in political affairs, including assisting with his brother Uhuru’s legal defense at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and serving as an interlocutor in brokering the 2018 “Handshake” reconciliation between Uhuru Kenyatta and his rival Raila Odinga.
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Business Ethics and Scrutiny: The Kenyatta family’s extensive land holdings and business dominance have long been a subject of political debate concerning potential market control and conflicts of interest. In 2018, his name featured in the controversy over the importation of duty-free sugar, though his firms maintained they imported only refined sugar for their dairy business.
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Pandora Papers: In 2021, the Pandora Papers leak revealed that he and other Kenyatta family members shielded millions of dollars in wealth through offshore shell companies and foundations in tax havens like the British Virgin Islands, highlighting the opaque nature of the family’s financial structures.
Muhoho Kenyatta remains a powerful yet publicity-shy figure, symbolizing the entrenched political and economic power wielded by Kenya’s founding families.