Mzee Samuel Mburu: Eldoret Billionaire Who Built Jade Collections Into a Fashion Empire Worth Billions

From Small Exhibitions to Nationwide Fashion Success

The global fashion industry is a multi-trillion-dollar market, yet much of it remains untapped in Kenya. Among the few local brands making a mark is Jade Collections, a leading fashion business with branches across Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret, and Thika. At the helm of this success story is Mzee Samuel Mburu, an Eldoret-based tycoon whose investments are estimated to exceed Ksh 7 billion.

Background and Business Journey

Mzee Samuel Mburu, alongside his daughter Bernice Mburu, who serves as the Chief Executive Officer, founded Jade Collections in 2000. Their first steps in the fashion industry were humble—displaying imported products from Dubai and South Africa at an exhibition table in Nakuru known as Millennium.

By 2004, the duo had opened a shop in Embassy House, Nairobi, supplying fashion items to local supermarkets. A year later, they closed the shop to focus exclusively on the supply side.

In 2007, a twist of fate reshaped their journey. A client cancelled a large order of a 40-foot container of fashion items while it was en route. With no storage for the stock, Mzee Mburu and his daughter decided to open a shop to sell the goods—marking the official birth of Jade Collections. Today, it stands as one of Kenya’s top clothing lines, celebrated for quality and variety.

Expanding Beyond Fashion

Mzee Mburu is not just a fashion mogul; he is a shrewd investor in real estate. His portfolio spans flats, apartments, and business premises across Eldoret, Nakuru, and Nairobi, alongside hundreds of acres of land in the Rift Valley region. Reports suggest that one of Kenya’s leading banks rents an entire building from his property portfolio, highlighting the scale of his investments.

Family Court Battles

Despite his success, Mzee Mburu has faced legal challenges within the family. In June 2021, his grandchildren, Kevin and Ivan Wakaimba, filed a lawsuit seeking a share of his Ksh 7 billion empire. The siblings claimed they were sidelined after the death of their father, Samuel Wakaimba, in a road accident.

They alleged that following their father’s passing, Mzee Mburu evicted them from their father’s 100-acre flower farm and lodged an insurance claim without including them. Kevin cited that he had to drop out of a film production course in South Africa, while Ivan was sent home from an aviation school in Malindi. The court case is still ongoing.

Mzee Samuel Mburu’s story highlights the journey of a visionary entrepreneur who transformed challenges into opportunities, building one of Kenya’s most successful fashion brands while navigating the complexities of family and business.