Kenyan billionaire industrialist Narendra Raval Guru worth says he is ready to give up all his Sh40 billion wealth in fight against corona

Kenyan worth Sh40 billions says he is ready to give up all his wealth in fight against corona

Tony Mukere

April 2, 2020 2:56 PM

Leading from the front

Devki Group Chairman Narendra Raval speaking during a past event

Kenyan billionaire industrialist Narendra Raval Guru is leading from the front insofar as philanthropy helps the government fight the deadly coronavirus.

On Thursday, Guru became the first Kenyan billionaire to pledge that he would use his immense wealth tyo help the government's efforts to battle the Covid19 pandemic.

To begin with, the billionaire already donated Sh100 million worth of oxygen which will be distributed through the Devki Steel Mills factories in Ruiru, Mombasa, and Ath River.

Guru added that if the need arises, he was ready to give up all his assets to save Kenyan and its people from the Covid19 menance.

"If need arises, I am ready to pledge all my assets to save my country and the people of Kenya from the Covid19 devil," he said on Twitter.

The industrialist is worth at least Sh40 billion based on an audit of his net worth by Forbes magazine.

His company, the Devki Group, has annual sales of about Sh50 billion and manufactures cement, reinforcement bars, and barbed wire. The group's cement division, National Cement Company, manufactures Kenya's popular brand - Simba cement.

"Born in India, Raval served as an assistant priest at a Swaminarayan temple before relocating to Kenya as a teenager to serve in another temple. He was expelled from the sect when he married to a Kenyan woman, and decided to take up a job in a small steel factory where he learnt steelmaking," Forbes said while describing Guru.

The businessman is a member of the board that will administer the Covid19 emergency fund that was recently created by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In addition, he is the current Chancellor of Egerton University where he made news after announcing that he would give back all his salaries and allowances from his position back to the university to assist poor students.

Tony Mukere