A man who waited to marry at the age of 51, Charles Njonjo is regarded as one of the most successful men of the modern times.
On Sunday, January 2, 2021, Njonjo was declared dêad by his doctor at 5am at his home, and his body moved to Lee Funeral Home where it lay for around four hours before it was cremated at the Kariokor Crematorium.
Unknown to many, Njonjo was one of the founding partners alongside John Stuart Lee. While Lee Funeral Home was meant to preserve the bodies of who is who in the society, Njonjo would not “enjoy” the facility so much after his dêath.
In 2011, Njonjo partnered with billionaire businessman Baloobhai Patel to start he five-star Sankara Hotel in Westlands, Nairobi. Before he diêd, Njonjo chaired the Sankara Hotel Group.
The hotel venture is run through Grenadier Limited, a company co-owned by Njonjo and Baloobhai. The company also owns a large-scale industrial and commercial project on Mombasa Road.
Before his dêath, Grenadier Limited was also planing for a Ksh1 billion upscale office and hospitality development in Runda Estate.
Grenadier Limited also owns Larsens Camp, which is run by the hospitality arm, the Wilderness Lodges.
Njonjo was also associated with 64,000-acre Solio Ranch in Laikipia, which is divided into two sections, 19,000 acres for private game sanctuary and another 45,000 acres to cattle ranching. The ranch also has the luxury Solio Lodge.
He also co-founded the African Liaision and Consultant Services (Alico) in the 1980s with former Head of Public Service Jeremiah Kiereini, former Kenya Power CEO Julius Gecau and the late businessman PK Jani.
Other shareholders included former Inspector General of Police Ben Gethi, former Cabinet Minister Bruce McKenzie, and former head of the National Intelligence Service James Kanyotu
Alico acquired several business ventures including CMC Motors and CFC Holdings, which own CFC Bank (now Stanbic Bank) and CFC Insurance.
He later sold his 1.32 per cent stake in CMC Motors for Ksh10.1 million, and in 2014 sold his CFC Bank stake to the Standard Bank Group of South Africa.
Njonjo also served as Kenya’s Attorney General for 15 years, Kikuyu MP and the chair of the East African Wildlife Society.
He diêd at the age of 101.
Read: The Man Who Owns Lee Funeral Home and Sir Charles Njonjo’s Hand in it
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It is a very impressive legasy of Business empire which has been left behind by Late Hon. Sir Charles Njonjo.
This man lived a private, quiet, polished and accomplished life style worth emulating. Where’s his son David, my friend?
May the Almighty rest his soul in eternal peace.