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Centum is a leading East African investment company that is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and cros...

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Our History

In 1967: incorporated as an affiliate of the Kenyan government-owned Industrial and Commercial Development Cor...

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Governance

The Board of directors (“the Board”) of Centum Investment Company Limited (Centum) is the core of Centums system of corporate governance and is ul...

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Company Overview

Executive Team

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Centum is East Africa's leading investment company listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and Uganda Securities Exchange. We are an investment channel providing investors with access to a portfolio of inaccessible, quality, diversified investments.

Centum 4.0 Strategic Pillars

Return: Generate a minimum return on equity of 20% through value-creating activities

Liquidity & Capital Structure: minimum of 12-months cover for fund all cash operating expenses and dividend and any other cash investment obligations falling due within 12 months;

Balance sheet strengthening through repayment of all long-term debt obligations (i.e. zero long-term debt capital structure) at Group level. 

Cost: Maintain a maximum operating cost-to-cash annuity income ratio of 30%

Organizational effectiveness: optimisation of Centum’s operating model to support effective and efficient execution of its strategy

Portfolio Focus: Restructure portfolio to focus on three key business units, namely: 

• Real Estate (Target asset allocation: 45-55%)
• Private Equity (Target asset allocation: 30-40%)
• Marketable Securities (Target asset allocation: 10-20%) 

Governance

The Board of directors (“the Board”) of Centum Investment Company Limited (Centum) is the core of Centums system of corporate governance and is ul...

More Details

Incorporated as an affiliate of the Kenyan government-owned Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC) with a nominal share capital of KES 2 mn and named Industrial Commercial Development Corporation Investment (ICDCI). In the same year, it was listed on the then Nairobi Stock Exchange.

1972

Appointment of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry to the Centum Board

1973

ICDCI issues 400,000 additional ordinary shares.

1974

Acquisition of a 26.4% stake in Kenya Wine Agencies Limited

1975

The Company’s authorized share capital grows from KES 4 mn to KES 6 mn through the creation of 400,000 additional shares valued at KES 5 each

1977

The Company issues 1,800,000 shares at KES 5 each, increasing the Company’s nominal share capital to KES 15 mn

1979

Investment in Nairobi Bottlers Limited for a 27.6% stake.

1983

Issues of 886,839 additional shares recording a total of 5.3 mn issued shares at year end

1987

Minority stake investments undertaken in East African Fine Spinners Limited, Mount Kenya Bottlers Limited, Minet – ICDC Insurance Brokers, Kisii Bottlers Limited, East African Breweries Limited and Car and General (K) Limited.

1990

Authorized share capital increases to 100 mn through the creation of 14 mn shares each valued at KES 5. At year end, the Company had a record 20 mn authorized shares, each valued at KES 5. A rights issue is undertaken with the Company closing the year at a total of 11.1 mn fully paid up shares. Some of the proceeds from the rights issues utilized in additional funding for the development of the Company’s plot on Uhuru Highway later that year. Additional investment of KES 4.1 mn in the Nairobi Stock Exchange and an investment in Wormald (K) Limited is undertaken

1991

Additional investments worth KES 27 mn undertaken primarily in the Nairobi Stock Exchange. ICDCI also invests a total of KES 5 mn in Dawa Pharmaceuticals Limited. Issuance of shares and debentures worth KES 11 mn. ICDCI records fully paid up shares amounting to 15 mn at KES 5 each at the close of the year

1993

Acquires a 17.8% stake in General Motors East Africa.

1996

Additional minority stake investments undertaken in Eveready Batteries Limited, NAS Airport Services Limited, Kisii bottlers Limited and Minet – ICDC Insurance Brokers.

1998

ICDCI adopted an independent management team, with ICDC ceding day-to-day management and decreasing its shareholding.

2002

Acquires a 16.6% stake in UAP Insurance Limited, a 35.4% stake in Mather & Platt Limited and a 27.6% stake in Flamingo Bottlers Limited

2003

Acquires an additional shareholding in UAP Insurance Limited increasing the stake to 23.7%

2004

Rolls out Centum 1.0 for the period 2004 – 2009.

2005

Investment 3.8% stake in K-Rep bank (now Sidian Bank). Exit from Uchumi.

2006

Acquires 10% stake in Rift Valley Railways Investments Limited. Partial exit from Eveready East Africa through an IPO on Nairobi Securities Exchange. Sale of Kimathi House and Consulate Chambers.

2007

35% stake in Longhorn Publishers Limited acquired

2008

ICDCI rebrands to Centum Investment Company Plc (‘Centum’). Exit from Mather & Platt Limited.

2009

Centum embarked on an aggressive 5 year Pan African strategy that saw the company re-organised into three distinct business lines; Private Equity (PE) Quoted Private Equity (QPE) and Real Estate and Infrastructure (RE&I).

2010

Acquires a 15% stake in SIA Holdings (NAS Servair) Exit from Rift Valley Railways

2011

Purchase of 100 acres along Limuru road part of which now sits Two Rivers Mall and 300 acres in Entebbe Uganda, now Pearl Marina Development Centum cross-lists shares on the Ugandan Securities Exchange Investment in Helios Fund II and CAPE III fund

2012

The company repositioned itself to better manage third party funds as well as for growth by reorienting the three business lines to become wholly owned subsidiaries of the parent company Centum. Issuance of a KES 4.2 bn bond, the largest private placement in Kenya's history at the time Investment in Akiira Geothermal for a 36.5% stake Investment in Platcorp Holdings Limited, investment holding company for Platinum Credit and Premier Credit Limited with operations in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, for a 35.6% stake Acquires additional shareholding in Almasi Beverages Limited

2013

Nabo Capital, (formerly Centum Asset Managers) – one of the wholly owned subsidiaries – acquired approval from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) to manage third party funds. Genesis Kenya – with KES 116 Billion of assets under management – joined the Centum family as part of our drive to grow third party fund management. Partners with Broll Property Group, to establish Broll East Africa, which Centum holds a 30% stake Included in the NSE 20 Share Index for the first time

2014

Rolls out Centum 3.0, a strategic plan for the period 2014 – 2019 that includes the incorporation of the corporate responsibility docket- Centum Foundation. Additional investment in K-Rep Bank (now Sidian Bank). Exit from Helios Fund II and CAPE III Fund. Issues a KES 6 bn 5-year bond which is 138% oversubscribed.

2015

Incorporates Greenblade Growers Limited, a herb growing and exports business. Additional investment in Sidian Bank Limited raising Centum’s stake to 74.8%. Exit from UAP Insurance Limited. Acquires 14,000 acres of land in Kilifi county, Kenya – now The Vipingo Development.

2016

Establishes a consortium with Investbridge Capital a Dubai-based investment bank and SABIS® a school operator with an intention to setup 20 schools in Sub-Saharan Africa. Acquires additional stake in Longhorn and Almasi Beverages. Exits AON Insurance Brokers.

2017

Launch of Two Rivers Mall, the largest shopping mall in Sub-saharan Africa, outside South Africa attracting over 200,000 visitors

2018

Exit from GenAfrica Asset Managers.