The Man Who Defied Moi: Jared Kangwana, the Man Behind KTN and a Multi-Billion Business Legacy

Business mogul Jared Kangwana launched KTN in March 1990 to dismantle the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation’s monopoly.

At the time, KANU strongman Daniel Arap Moi ruled the country, controlling the government news.

Kangwana launched KTN, the nation’s first independent broadcaster.

“KTN, which became the first independent broadcaster,” Nyaga stated.

After launch, the TV station aired content from CNN and MTV and started to gain ads.

The company then won a bid to televise the 1992 Summer Olympics and other international events and this success put KTN at the center of media coverage in Kenya.

Also Read: How FIFA Turns the World Cup Into a Multi-Billion-Dollar Business

Jared Kangwana’s Media Battles and Real Estate Ventures

Kangwana then ran into trouble with the KANU regime.

“The government’s plan to force him to relinquish control of the television station,” Nyaga narrates.

Moi’s government ordered him to censor government news or relinquish control of KTN, but Kangwana defied the order.

In 1993, police officers barred him from traveling abroad and confiscated his passport.

Kangwana finally bowed and handed over the station to the regime, and the Standard Group purchased the station in 1995.

The Moi family and its cronies later took charge of the station.

The mogul then ventured into the real estate and finance industry through Anglo-African Property Holdings.

Its estimated net assets were in excess of Ksh 2.4 billion as he owns The Mall on Ring Road in Westlands, Nairobi.

The facility has office spaces measuring 400 to 3,300 square feet and houses a Naivas supermarket, a coffee shop, a restaurant, and clothing stores.

Also Read: How Njugush Turned Talent into a Thriving Entertainment Brand

Kenyan Business and Investment Landscape

He also owns Chester House on Koinange Street, in Nairobi’s CBD.

The building houses lounges, a swimming pool, restaurants, and apartments. A standard single bedroom is charged at USD $60, which approximates Ksh 8,190 per night.

Kangwana also has Impala Ecolodge located on Lake Victoria shores in Kisumu.

The Kenya Wildlife Service says impalas, Sitatunga antelopes, big cats, buffaloes, giraffes and cheetahs reside at the sanctuary.

He co-founded Maisha Microfinance Bank alongside others to support small traders.

The Central Bank of Kenya licensed the institution, which was awarded the best microfinance bank for product innovation in 2021.

He is also associated with the Monarch Group, which operates Monarch Insurance, the second-largest insurance company in Africa.

Through Kamu Company Limited, he owns land in Upper Hill, Nairobi and Kitengela.

President William Ruto recently appointed him the Chancellor of TUK University.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for instant news updates

Kenya Television Network (KTN) is a Kenyan free-to-air television network that was launched in March 1990 by Jared Kangwana, Credits FILE