Benjamin Kimani
Benjamin Kimani is a Kenyan entrepreneur steering Muthokinju Paints & Cement from a regional hardware shop into a nationwide building-materials powerhouse. In 2014, fresh from earning a commerce degree at Edith Cowan University and aged just 24, he assumed day-to-day control of the family business founded by his parents in 1995. Kimani has since grown the network from three depots around Nairobi to 22 omnichannel branches serving contractors in 17 counties, while annual turnover has climbed more than six-fold.
A champion of data-driven decision-making, he introduced cloud ERP, GPS-routed deliveries and mobile POS terminals that cut stock-outs by 40 percent and shortened average order-to-site time to 90 minutes. His current “Paperless 2026” roadmap is replacing hard-copy invoices with QR codes and WhatsApp receipts, and an AI demand-forecasting tool now informs bulk imports of cement and decorative finishes. Beyond operations, Kimani runs the Muthokinju Skills Hub, which certifies 1,000 painters and fundis each year, and an annual “Colour for Classrooms” programme that has refurbished 75 public schools.
Committed to sustainable growth, he installed solar rooftops on four depots and is piloting recycled-plastic paint pails. Kimani credits his success to professionalism, frugal reinvestment and “delayed gratification,” values he hopes will secure the business for a third generation while supporting Kenya’s booming construction sector.