Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), East Africa’s busiest aviation hub, has become a lucrative business ground for a group of influential tycoons from Nyeri County.
These individuals, operating under Apatana Investments, are the force behind the multi-billion-shilling in-flight catering business at JKIA.
In 2014, German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG won a tender from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) to build a state-of-the-art catering kitchen within JKIA.
To navigate Kenya’s complex commercial and political landscape, Lufthansa partnered with Apatana Investments, forming the JV Partners Consortium. This joint venture secured a 25-year concession to operate the kitchen, which began in 2015 and runs until 2040.
The facility, equipped with modern culinary technology and staffed by expert chefs, prepares meals for millions of passengers annually. In return, JV Partners committed to paying KAA a staggering Ksh 48 billion in concession fees over the contract period.
Apatana Investments is composed of prominent figures, many from Nyeri. Key shareholders include former Mathira MP Eliud Matu Wamae, stockbroker Ndung’u Githinji (also chair of Development Bank of Kenya), Nyeri Senator Ephraim Mwangi Maina, and former KDF Chief Julius Karangi. Others include MMUST Chancellor Peter Wanyaga Muthoka, ex-UK ambassador Joseph Muchemi, and Mary Wambui Mwai, widow of former President Kibaki.
Githinji stands out as the largest shareholder, holding over 2.2 million shares directly and through Nairobi Nominees Limited.
He shares ownership of the latter with Francis Drummond & Company Limited. Other major stakeholders include Isaac Samson Githuthu and Mwangi Wamae, each with over a million shares.
This strategic partnership not only disrupted the long-standing monopoly of Nas Servair but also positioned Nyeri’s elite as key players in Kenya’s aviation catering industry.
Their success underscores the intersection of business acumen, political influence, and strategic alliances in shaping Kenya’s commercial landscape.
By Nairobi