The 20 Highest-Paid Kenyans in 2025

Kenya’s economic landscape in 2025 is a vibrant mix of rapid growth, technological innovation, and persistent challenges. The nation’s highest earners, from corporate executives to business tycoons, reflect the opportunities within key sectors like banking, telecommunications, and real estate.

However, the concentration of wealth among a small elite highlights significant inequality, raising questions about equitable growth.

This article explores the top earners in Kenya, the factors driving their high incomes, the stark wealth disparities, and the trends shaping wealth creation in the country.

Top Earners in Kenya: Corporate Leaders and Beyond

Identifying the top 20 highest-paid individuals in Kenya for 2025 is challenging due to limited public data on individual salaries across all sectors.

The most comprehensive information available focuses on corporate executives, particularly CEOs of major companies.

Below is a list of the top 10 highest-paid CEOs in Kenya for 2025, based on a report from Kenyan Post published on March 12, 2025:

Rank	Name	Company	Monthly Salary (KSh million)
1	Gideon Muriuki	Co-operative Bank of Kenya	31.37
2	Paul Russo	KCB Bank Group	22.75
3	Peter Ndegwa	Safaricom PLC	9.00
4	Allan Kilavuka	Kenya Airways	8.50
5	Abdi Mohamed	ABSA Bank Kenya	8.43
6	John Gachora	NCBA Bank	8.00
7	Jane Karuku	EABL	7.50
8	Benson Wairegi	Britam	6.80
9	James Mwangi	Equity Bank	5.04
10	James Mworia	Centum Investment	3.72

Source: Kenyan Post: Top 10 Highest-Paid CEOs in Kenya

These executives lead Kenya’s most influential companies, primarily in banking, telecommunications, aviation, and beverages. Their high salaries are driven by the profitability and scale of their organizations, as well as their strategic roles in driving growth and innovation.

For instance, Gideon Muriuki’s leadership has transformed Co-operative Bank into a regional powerhouse, while Peter Ndegwa’s focus on digital services has solidified Safaricom’s dominance in telecoms.

Beyond CEOs, high earners exist in other sectors. For example, footballer Michael Olunga, playing for Al Duhail in Qatar, earns approximately 37,500 pounds weekly, equivalent to about KSh 28 million monthly (based on an exchange rate of 1 GBP = KSh 170). This places him among Kenya’s top earners, rivaling top CEOs.

However, specific salary data for other professionals, such as surgeons (averaging KSh 1.67 million monthly) or top lawyers, is less accessible, making it difficult to complete a list of 20 individuals without speculation.

Kenya’s Wealthiest Individuals and Families

While high salaries indicate annual income, net worth reflects accumulated wealth, often from business ownership and investments. The following table lists the top 10 richest individuals and families in Kenya for 2025, based on estimates from Fineducke:

Rank	Name/Family	Estimated Net Worth	Main Source of Wealth
1	Moi Family	$3 billion	Banking, media, education, real estate
2	Kenyatta Family	$2.5 billion	Dairy, banking, education, healthcare, land holdings
3	Philip Ndegwa Family	$1.8 billion	Insurance, banking, real estate
4	Chandaria Family	$1.7 billion	Steel manufacturing (Comcraft Group)
5	Biwott Family	$1.1 billion	Real estate (Yaya Center)
6	Mama Ngina Kenyatta	$1 billion	Banking, hospitality, real estate
7	Sameer Naushad Merali	$790 million	Diversified investments (Sameer Group)
8	Bhimji Depar Shah	$750 million	Consumer goods (Bidco Group)
9	Jaswinder Sighi Bedi	$680 million	Textiles (Bedi Textile)
10	Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta	$530 million	Dairy, banking, education, healthcare

Source: Fineducke: Top 10 Richest People in Kenya in 2025

These individuals and families have built their wealth through strategic investments in high-growth sectors. For example, the Moi and Kenyatta families have stakes in banking, real estate, and education, while the Chandaria family’s wealth stems from manufacturing.

Although net worth does not directly equate to annual income, their business profits and dividends likely place them among Kenya’s highest earners.

Why These Individuals Earn More

The high earnings of CEOs and wealthy individuals are driven by several factors:

Industry Profitability: Banking and telecommunications, led by companies like Co-operative Bank and Safaricom, generate substantial revenues, enabling high executive compensation.
Leadership Impact: CEOs like Gideon Muriuki and Paul Russo drive significant growth and digital transformation, justifying their salaries through measurable outcomes.
Global Market Exposure: Athletes like Michael Olunga benefit from international contracts, leveraging global demand for talent.
Diversified Investments: Wealthy families derive income from multiple revenue streams, such as real estate, manufacturing, and banking, which compound their earnings.
Historical Wealth: Families like the Moi and Kenyatta dynasties benefit from long-standing investments and political influence, amplifying their financial success.

Wealth Inequality in Kenya

Kenya’s wealth distribution is highly unequal. A 2024 Business Daily report indicates that in 2023, only 387,418 workers (12.3% of the formal workforce of 3,138,182) earned above KSh 100,000 monthly.

The majority of Kenyans, particularly in agriculture, fishing, and informal sectors, earn significantly less, with 75% of formal workers earning below KSh 50,000 monthly in 2020, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

The 2024 Africa Wealth Report notes that Kenya has 7,200 millionaires, a tiny fraction of its population, highlighting the concentration of wealth. The top 1% of earners, requiring a net worth of about KSh 2.2 million (US$20,000) as per the 2021 Knight Frank Wealth Report, hold a disproportionate share of resources.

Gender disparities also persist, with men dominating top jobs (247,571 male vs. 139,847 female super earners in 2023), though women are making gains in high-earning roles.

This inequality stems from structural issues, including limited access to quality education, job opportunities, and capital for entrepreneurship, particularly in rural areas. Policies like the International Monetary Fund’s Structural Adjustment Programmes, intended to boost productivity, have instead enriched a small elite, exacerbating disparities.

Wealth Creation Trends in Kenya

Kenya’s economy is projected to grow at 4.5% in 2025, according to the World Bank, driven by key sectors:

Fintech and Technology: Innovations like Safaricom’s M-Pesa have revolutionized financial inclusion, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and tech professionals. The tech sector’s growth is fostering a new class of wealth creators.
Real Estate: High demand for commercial and residential properties, especially in urban centers like Nairobi, drives wealth for investors and developers.
Agriculture: As a backbone of the economy, agriculture contributes significantly to GDP, with modern farming techniques boosting incomes for some.
Government Initiatives: Vision 2030 aims to transform Kenya into a middle-income country through infrastructure, industrialization, and human capital development. However, challenges like high public debt and weak revenue growth hinder progress.

The rise of 7,200 millionaires, as reported in the 2024 Africa Wealth Report, reflects Kenya’s entrepreneurial spirit and growing middle class. Yet, fiscal challenges, including high interest payments absorbing a third of tax revenue, limit inclusive growth.

Kenya’s Richest People

In 2025, Kenya’s highest-paid individuals, primarily corporate executives and wealthy business families, exemplify the nation’s economic potential. However, the stark contrast between their earnings and the majority’s income underscores significant wealth inequality.

As Kenya pursues Vision 2030 and leverages sectors like fintech and real estate, balancing wealth creation with equitable distribution will be critical for sustainable development. The stories of these top earners and the broader economic trends offer both inspiration and a call to action for a more inclusive future.