Muhoho Kenyatta identifies Brookside as his best-known investment
Muhoho Kenyatta, a Kenyan businessman and younger brother of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, said Brookside Dairy was the venture for which he was best known. He has been connected with the company since it was founded in 1993 and serves as its executive chairman and chief executive officer.
During his tenure, Brookside developed into one of East Africa’s leading dairy processors. The company expanded its operations through acquisitions that included Ilara Dairy, Delamere, Molo Milk and Kilifi.
Kenyatta described focus, hard work and patience as principles behind long-term business development. “Stay focused, work hard and give investments enough time to grow,” he said, advising business owners to direct earnings back into their companies rather than spend initial returns on expensive cars or celebrations.
He said sustained reinvestment and compounding could allow returns to accumulate over time. Kenyatta also questioned the idea that entrepreneurship suited everyone, saying that some people might be better placed in professions such as engineering, innovation or other skilled occupations.
His reported interests extend beyond dairy. In banking, he is associated with NCBA Group and previously held leadership positions linked to Commercial Bank of Africa. His agricultural holdings include Gicheha Farms, while his hospitality interests include Heritage Hotels East Africa and properties such as Mara Intrepids, Samburu Intrepids, Voyager Beach Resort and Great Rift Valley Lodge.
Other reported interests include Northlands City and Timsales Corporation in real estate and industry. He is also associated with MediaMax Network, which operates K24 TV, Kameme FM and The People Daily, as well as Peponi School. His name has appeared in reporting about the Pandora Papers and offshore entities.
Kenyatta is the youngest son of Kenya’s founding president, Jomo Kenyatta, and former first lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta. He studied economics and political science at Williams College in the United States. He has also been identified as the largest individual shareholder in NCBA Group, with 227.3m shares valued at about KSh20bn; his holding became relevant during discussions over Nedbank Group’s proposed purchase of a controlling stake in NCBA.
