When he reigned in the 70s and 80s, city billionaire Joseph Barrage Wanjui was the power behind the East African Industries (EAI). Soon, he became the face of EAI. In his earlier snapshots, he was the man with the smoking pipe—a striking emblem of his bohemian lifestyle. The pipe symbolised intellectual curiosity and sophistry.

Beneath, Wanjui was philanthropist. He was the first African member of the Rotary Club of Nairobi, which allowed him to carry out community work and connect with the subalterns.

Through the 1970s and 80s, Wanjui, better known as J.B. Wanjui, or simply Joe, reigned supreme as the engineer, industrialist, and CEO. His name echoed through boardrooms and factory floors alike. He hobnobbed with everyone—the rich and the poor—but mostly the latter.

While his classmates and agemates held political power, JB was in business, at the helm of the most essential blue-chip company in Kenya – EAI, whose signature was "Kwa Maisha Bora". Here, he watched the manufacture and distribution of East Africa's leading brands: Kimbo and Cowboy cooking oils, Rexona soap, Blue Band margarine, Royco Mchuzi Mix (spice), Treetop (fruit drink) and many others. He not only made money for the company’s shareholders but also became one of the wealthiest Kenyans.

Brokering deals

When he died on Tuesday, Wanjui had accomplished much more – and left a trail of companies and institutions where his intellectual and administration might be felt. He was worth billions of shillings, and his shareholding in blue-chip companies was epic. Yet, Joe never displayed his riches, nor was he interested in joining politics – where some of his peers eked a living without breaking a sweat. He loved hard work and brokering deals. Those who never understood him thought he was just lucky.

Born in Kikuyu on May 24, 1937, Wanjui received his early education at Kabaa and Mangu High School, a citadel of the Catholic faith that trained the first generation of scholars and administrators who passed through the hands of Irish Fr John O'Connor. It was in Mangu that Wanjui's educational prowess would be seen. He passed his 1957 Cambridge School Certificate with a Division One.