The founder of Sabina Joy, Gerald Gikonyo Kanyuira, has died aged 110 years, he was born in 1914 and lost his mother in 1918. He is one of the men who came from Rwathia village in Murang’a and ended up being a billionaire in Nairobi City. He died of complications related to old age at his home along Luthuli avenue in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
His first job was at Mathari Catholic Coffee Plantation where he was working as a casual laborer.
Gerald Gikonyo Kanyuira was the only remaining patriarch of the capitalist boys who were multi-billionaires.
Apart from Sabina Joy club, he also owned several other businesses in real estate and liquor. He was co-founder of Rwathia distributors. He also owned Magomano, the New Kinangop Hotel, Alfa Hotel, and Timboroa Hotels.
He started by selling cabbage next to his friend Kirima at Marikiti market in Nairobi. He was married to four wives and had sired 23 children, 300 grandchildren and 100 great grandchildren. His first born child was born in 1936 while the last born was born in 1972. Gikonyo lost his mother in 1918.
At some point he employed Equity’s Peter Munga as a casual laborer in one of his businesses.
Gikonyo also planted coffee and joined Kenya Planters Cooperative Union. In 1947, he teamed up with five others and created Mwihoko General and Rwathia Supplies. That marked a turning point in his life.
The group set up an hotel and tasked Gikonyo to run it because he had experience running hotels already. Money started flowing in and they saved diligently.
He partnered with friends and bought used the money to buy property and land across the city. One of the buildings that they acquired is the one which houses Sabina Joy along Moi Avenue.
They also acquired plots with commercial and residential buildings. Gerald Gikonyo was the first Kenyan to own a car. It was an Austin which he gang up with a friend to buy for Ksh. 300.
Tea farming in Murang’a
Gerald Gikonyo owned a tea farm in Murang’a at the time people used to steal tea seedlings.
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Home in the Central Business District
Gerald Gikonyo is one of the few people with a home in the Central Business District. This shows his deep roots in the city.
Rwathia Investment Group
A group of men from Rwathia village in Kangema, Muran’a county came together and formed Rwathia Investment Group which has employed over 100,000 people over time.
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