Naivas announces new CEO in leadership change

Kenya’s leading retail chain, Naivas Supermarkets, has announced a major leadership change as part of its long-term growth strategy. 

Effective November 1, 2025, Chief of Strategy Andreas von Paleske will take over as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding David Kimani, one of the company’s founding members.

Von Paleske, who has been with Naivas for the past eight years, has been instrumental in shaping the retailer’s strategic direction during a period of rapid expansion. 

Together with Kimani, he oversaw Naivas’ growth to over 100 stores, reinforcing its position as the country’s largest supermarket chain.

Kimani said the company’s 35th anniversary presented the perfect opportunity to hand over the reins. 

He will remain active in the business alongside fellow family members Peter and Charles Mukuha.

“Having achieved several landmark milestones in the past few years, and with a strong leadership team in place, I could not think of a better opportunity than our 35-year anniversary to pass on the baton to Andreas,” Kimani said.

Naivas International Chairman Arnaud Lagesse praised Kimani’s role in building one of Kenya’s most successful corporate stories. 

He expressed confidence that von Paleske’s appointment would provide continuity and position the company for its next phase of growth.

“David’s role in laying the foundations of one of Kenya’s corporate success stories is truly commendable. With Andreas, we have the right leader to take the business to even greater heights. He brings deep industry experience and a strong understanding of Naivas’ culture and values,” Lagesse said.

Kenya’s supermarket landscape

Kenya’s formal retail has grown quickly over the last decade but still leaves room to run.

Formal retail penetration was estimated at about one-third of total retail spend in the early 2020s, creating space for modern chains to expand into vacated sites and new towns.

That gap has been filled most aggressively by Naivas, Quickmart and Carrefour, among others.

The collapse of legacy giants reshaped the market. Nakumatt shut its last six stores by January 2020 with debts reportedly around Sh38 billion, while Tuskys dwindled from more than 60 outlets to a handful, outcomes that opened prime locations and supplier relationships to better-capitalised rivals.

Naivas emerged as Kenya’s largest supermarket chain by value share and footprint, after an expansion push that took it past 100 stores nationwide. Sector analyses in 2024–2025 consistently profile Naivas as the leading grocery chain by retail value share.

Carrefour (Majid Al Futtaim) has scaled steadily in urban centres, passing the 30-store mark nationwide by late 2025 (with heavy concentration in Nairobi, plus Mombasa and Kisumu). Its growth model leverages large-format hypermarkets and curated convenience formats.

Quickmart (Adenia Partners) has grown rapidly through mergers and new builds, reaching roughly 60 stores across 14 counties, though macro headwinds (shilling weakness, inflation, tax changes) tightened margins and tempered the pace of expansion.