Top richest government officials in Machakos County

 

• Machakos is one of the richest Kenyan counties, with the sixth highest working population in the country
• Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko, who hails from the county, revealed his estimated net worth and properties
• Ex-Machakos senator Johnstone Muthama is another politician from the region who has diverse business ventures

TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting and offers deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Machakos is one of Kenya's richest counties.

When compared to counties with rural environments, Machakos has a comparatively high Gross County Product (GCP), according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

The devolved unit has the sixth-highest working population, with over 500,000, according to the KNBS.

KNBS revealed that Machakos has a GCP of KSh 378.4 billion.

"Nairobi had the highest county economy, with KSh 3.28 trillion, followed by Kiambu (KSh 721.2 billion), Nakuru (KSh 600.5 billion), Mombasa (KSh 564.1 billion), Meru (KSh 407.4 billion), and Machakos county (KSh 378.4 billion)," the report revealed.

Who are the richest people from Machakos?

1. Mike Sonko

Mike Sonko, the former governor of Nairobi, revealed in May 2019 that his wealth exceeded the KSh 32 billion, the city's budget at that time.

The flamboyant politician disclosed that he amassed wealth long before he was elected as the Makadara Member of Parliament in 2010.

The 50-year-old and his wife, Primrose Mbuvi, ran their transport business before entering politics.

He revealed that his daily income was KSh 40,000 per matatu.

"I'm worth more than Nairobi's yearly budget, and I have many fixed deposit accounts in several banks totalling roughly $5 million (KSh 645.7 million). And I invested this money from the earnings I used to receive even before I was elected as an MP," Sonko told NTV.

Sonko disclosed that in addition to his matatu venture, he earned an estimated KSh 4 million each week from his Mombasa club.

Sonko also owns a fleet of high-end vehicles, four beach plots, 300 acres of land in Kajiado, 25 acres of land in Kwale, and houses in Mua Hills, Nairobi, and the coast.

2. Johnstone Muthama

Johnstone Muthama is the former senator for Machakos and MP for Kangundi (2008 to 2013).

The politician has investments in real estate, mining, and agriculture.

Muthama is among the wealthiest people in Kenya as a result of his mining investments, according to Business Daily.

Gold, rubies, and opal are among the precious stones that are traded by Muthama's Rockland Kenya Limited.

His other companies include Nduya Muthama Holdings, Nina Marie Ltd and Muthama Gemstone Ltd.

3. Peter Muthoka

Acceler Global Logistics was founded by Peter Muthoka, who also serves as its CEO.

According to Forbes, the business makes more than $50 million (KSh 6.46 billion) a year.

Before selling his shareholding in CMC Motors to the Al-Futtaim Group of the United Arab Emirates in 2014 for roughly $20 million (KSh 2.58 billion), Muthoka was the company's largest individual shareholder.

4. Chris Musau

Chris Musau is renowned for his endeavours in hospitality and real estate.

According to The Standard, he is the owner of Maanzoni Lodge, a well-known resort that opened in 2011 near the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.

The lodge started out as a small family hotel but expanded to 360 rooms as demand for housing for both business and pleasure developed.

Another illustration of Musau's economic acumen is his Ksh 1.2 billion acquisition of the 680 Hotel in Nairobi, which increased his interests in the hotel sector.

He sold 10,000 acres of property he had purchased to establish his businesses.

Who are the richest people from Embu?

In other news, Embu contributes 1.57% to Kenya's GDP and is a member of the Central Region Economic Bloc (CEREB).

One of the wealthiest individuals from Embu is Patrick Njiru Kuria, a serial entrepreneur who owns Kenya Mpya buses and Paleah Stores Limited.

Born and raised in Embu, Sarah Kabu co-owns Bonfire Adventures with her ex-husband, Simon Kabu.