Kenyan billionaire and businessman Jaswant Singh Rai has been on the headlines in recent weeks since he was allegedly abducted along Wood Avenue in Kilimani August 25.
Jaswant is a member of Kenya’s richest family, with holdings in agriculture, forestry, cement, edible oils, real estate, and horticulture.
According to the Daily Nation, Rai owns four sugar companies that account for roughly half of all sugar sold in Kenya.
Rai has expanded his grip over large sugar areas in Western Kenya and South Nyanza. The Kabras sugar brand is manufactured by West Kenya Sugar Company. The company was created in 1971 and employs over 1,000 people. Besides West Kenya, Rai owns Naitiri, Olepito and Sukari Industries.
Rai also owns Tulip Properties, which has been mentioned in land controversies. In 2020, the real estate firm competed with several persons for possession of a KSh 1.6 billion 16-acre block of land, including Simon Kiprono Laboso, Noor Mohammed Hassan, Messrs Mohammed, Koriow Nur, and MacDonald Makaka. Jaswant claimed to have purchased the property from Kenya’s second president, Daniel Moi.
The billionaire is also said to own Raiply which dominates the wood industry in Kenya. The company during the previous administration won contracts to provide timber poles to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC). The tender was estimated to be worth KSh 112.87 million.
Rai is also linked to Menengai Oil Refineries, which manufactures cooking oil, fats, soaps, detergents, baking powder and skin care products.
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