Success in life is often judged by how one finishes, not how they start. This holds true for several Kenyan billionaires who began their careers as police officers, a profession not typically associated with wealth. In this article, we examine how five Kenyans who started in different units of the police service grew to become some of the richest and most respected businessmen in the country.
James Mageria,
who was born in 1941 and joined the police service in the 1960s, started as a junior officer but rose through the ranks to become one of the senior trainers at the police college. After leaving the police service, he took a job at American Express and became one of the company’s youngest executives. In 2006, he co-founded Karen Hospital and served as chairman until his death in 2021. At the time of his death, he was among the 42 billionaires in Kenya.
Jimi Wanjigi,
now a multi-billionaire businessman and politician, once served as a policeman but was dismissed from the service after threatening a colleague. He is now the CEO of Kwacha Group of Companies, which has investments in various sectors including real estate, agri-business, and financial services.
James Kanyotu
joined the police service in 1960 and worked his way up the ranks to become head of security intelligence. He amassed his wealth across various industries including real estate, hospitality, security, agriculture, banking, and aviation. He died in 2008 as one of the wealthiest men in Kenya.
Harun Mwau,
a decorated politician and former civil servant, started his journey to success as a policeman in his 20s. He participated in the 1968 and 1972 summer Olympics as one of the best sharpshooters. He amassed his wealth from selling his shares at Nakumatt and serving in various companies.
Jackson Kibor
began his career as a policeman but later ventured into farming and real estate, which made him a billionaire. He used his winning from an East African darts competition and a loan to acquire his first parcel of land, which he used to grow maize and do dairy farming. He later acquired over 3,000 acres of land and made
