Inside Charles Njonjo's multi-million business empire

The late Charles Njonjo took his final bow on January 2, 2022 just days before his 102 birthday.

According to friends and family, Njonjo was known for his discipline and principle which saw him follow his work routine to his old age.

Before his health took a dip, the deceased would show up at his office in Westlands every day without fail to tend to his many businesses.

Sankara Hotel in Nairobi Pulse Live Kenya

One of the properties left behind by Njonjo is the Sankara Hotel where he served as the chairman of the Sankara Hotel Group.

The facility is a 5-star hotel that hosted US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken on his recent trip to the country.

Njonjo co-owned the hotel with billionaire industrialist Baloobhai Patel through their investment company Grenadier Limited.

Baloobhai Patel Pulse Live Kenya

The firm has interests in hospitality management, real estate and lottery operations. In 2014 it was linked to a proposed Sh1 billion shopping complex which was to be constructed in Runda.

Njonjo was also a shareholder of Lee Funeral Services which is one of the most prestigious funeral homes in the country.

At the height of the Moi regime, Njonjo was one of the most powerful men in the county and made strategic investments in companies like CMC Motors and CFC Holdings, which own CFC Bank and CFC Insurance.

CFC Life Assurance Company Limited, Heritage Insurance Company, and CFC Financial Services Limited were all owned by CFC Bank and merged into CFC Stanbic Holdings.

Njonjo sold his CFC Bank interest to the Standard Bank Group of South Africa in 2014, and the bank was renamed CFC Stanbic Bank (now Stanbic Bank).

He also sold off his 1.32 per cent stake in CMC Motors for Sh10.1 million.