How much do you know about Mr Kariuki, founder of Africa Spirit Limited? Well, he is a world class busniess tycoon who studied at Nairobi School and Kagumo High School before joining Central Bank of Kenya when he was only 19 as a clerk. Mr Kariuki says he made some “decent income” at Central Bank and that he ventured into the business world by importing cars. He later ventured into wines and spirits distributorship through Wines of the World Limited as the distributor for Jack Daniels, Bacardi and the Edrington Group.
Mr Kariuki’s Africa Spirits Limited is now under police watch and by last evening, detectives were still looking for him. This is after detectives led by Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet and senior Kenya Revenue Authority officials made what they said was a dazzling find: An estimated 21 million counterfeit excise stamps and 312,000 litres of illicit products all worth billions of shillings in taxes. When police raided Humphrey Kariuki’s multimillion alcohol empire in Thika town last week, the world of Kenya’s most reclusive billionaire was opened for all to see.
Africa Spirits is only a small part of Mr Kariuki’s multibillion empire all under the name of a holding company, Janus Continental Group and which encompasses all that a billionaire would want. A five-star luxurious Mt Kenya Safari Club originally a retreat to famous Hollywood stars such as William Holden who founded the club. Its members once included British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US singer and actor Harry Bing Crosby.
It was this period that he built the Hub shopping mall in Karen and also bought Fairmont Mt Kenya Safari Club in Nanyuki. Besides the current raid on his factory, Mr Kariuki’s efforts to get an exclusive license to import and distribute 214 premium wine and spirit brands including Bacardi, Martini labels has been thwarted by the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) this year.
The Wines of the World wanted to enter exclusive distribution agreements with various alcohol manufacturers. The current turn of events is yet another twist in the life of a man so wealthy; and so reclusive who provides wild animals with a place to call home at his Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy and Animal Orphanage.