Rodgers Kipembe Mpuru is a young Kenyan entrepreneur who has defied the odds and become a billionaire at the age of 33. He was born and raised in the villages of Meru County and attended Moi Forces Academy before obtaining a law degree from the Catholic University of East Africa. Kipembe is married to Betty Maingi and has two children.
After graduating, Kipembe started a car wash business in South C, Nairobi, which quickly became one of the best in Nairobi West. He then expanded his business by opening branches in different parts of the city and diversifying into the motor vehicle industry by opening a salvage car yard known as Rodgers’ place in South B. He continued to open new garages and car washes in different areas of Nairobi.
In addition to his business ventures, Kipembe owns a microfinance company called Wema Tosha that primarily focuses on issuing loans to local farmers in the villages. The microfinance company has over 10 branches across Kenya. He also owns Meru TV, a television channel that broadcasts in the Ameru vernacular language, and Theuri FM, a radio station in the Mt Kenya region.
Kipembe is also involved in politics and is the founder and Secretary General of the National Ordinary Peoples Empowerment Union (NOPEU), a political party with offices in Meru County and Nairobi. The party will be fielding candidates for various political seats in the upcoming August 2022 general elections in the Mt Kenya region. Despite his political interests, Kipembe has no plans to run for any political seat.
Kipembe enjoys a luxurious lifestyle and is not afraid to show it off to the public. During an interview with comedian Felix Odiwuor on the Bonga na Jalas show that aired on Jalang’o TV, Kipembe sent money live on air to viewers who wrote their M-pesa phone numbers in the comment section. He also owns 18 personal cars, including 6 Mercedes Benz, 3 Range Rovers, a Porsche Cayenne, a Land Rover Discovery, and a Toyota V8. Most of his vehicles have a customized number plate with the brand name ‘Kipembe.’ He lives in a multi-million mega mansion on a 3-acre piece of land in the leafy suburbs of Karen, Nairobi, and also owns a bungalow in his village of Tigania East constituency, Meru County.
