Few businessmen in Kenya are openly bold, risk-taking, and visionary like billionaire Zedekiah Buzeki Kiprop Bundotich.
Buzeki has risen from humble beginnings to become the founder and Group Chairman of the Buzeki Group of Companies.
The company is one of East Africa’s largest and most diversified conglomerates with interests in logistics, transport, manufacturing, and dairy processing.
His story is one of persistence, reinvention, and the ability to see opportunity where others see obstacles.
Bundotich Building a Dairy Empire
Buzeki’s career started in the 1990s when he became the Regional Dairy Sales Manager at Kilifi Plantations.
In a past interview with Marcopolis, he noted that the role introduced him to the complexities of consumer marketing and distribution.
Here, he was instrumental in building the Kilifi Gold milk brand, turning it into the dominant player at the Coast and capturing over 80% of the regional market share.
Further, this experience opened his eyes to the potential of Kenya’s dairy sector.
He later pioneered the introduction of Tuzo Milk on the Coast, where his grassroots marketing and a deep understanding of consumer behavior quickly made it the leading brand.
However, Buzeki fully transitioned into entrepreneurship in 1999, establishing Buzeki Enterprises Ltd.
He began modestly with a single truck, growing steadily by securing contracts with some of Kenya’s biggest corporates, including Bamburi Cement, UN’s World Food Program, and East African Portland Cement.
The company’s operations now span cement, fertilizers, bulk cargo, abnormal loads, and integrated supply chain solutions.
Buzeki Logistics is trusted to handle cargo for leading firms like Lafarge and the East African Portland Cement Company.
He attributes his success in the sector to his sharp ability to negotiate, build trust, and deliver consistently, which sets him apart in the highly competitive transport industry.
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Becoming a Billionaire and Selling Tuzo
By the mid-2000s, his fleet had expanded, and his ambitions were rising beyond logistics.
On his website, Buzeki notes that he understood that controlling multiple points of a supply chain could transform not only his business but the industries he operated in.
Between 2008 and 2012, Buzeki ventured back into the dairy sector as an entrepreneur.
He founded Buzeki Dairy Ltd. and went on to acquire processing plants in Kilifi, Mau Summit, and Limuru.
From these bases, he launched several dairy brands, including New Kilifi Gold, Molo Milk, and Limuru Fresh. Among these, Molo Milk stood out as a household favorite across Kenya, consistently ranked as the most preferred brand by independent consumer surveys.
By 2013, it had earned accolades such as Best Advertisement from Ipsos Synovate and Most Preferred Milk Brand from Consumer Insight.
At the same time, he grew Buzeki Logistics into one of the most formidable fleets in East Africa, with over 400 prime movers and more than 1,200 employees.
In 2013, Bundotich sold his Buzeki Dairy business to the Kenyatta family’s Brookside Dairies in a deal valued at $15 million (Ksh2 billion).
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Leadership and Industry Impact
Beyond entrepreneurship, Buzeki served as the chairman of the Kenya Transport Association between 2008 and 2010, and later as a director until 2013.
Additionally, he is a Fellow of the Society of Sales & Marketing (UK) and maintains active membership in bodies such as the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, Kenya Dairy Board, Federation of Kenyan Employers, and Kenya Dairy Processors Association.
He has won the Best Road Safety Award three times (2008, 2011, 2012) from the Kenya Association of Insurers.
Every year, he sponsors orphaned students through school, invests in youth sports programs in athletics and football, and plants over 1,000 trees annually to offset the carbon emissions of his fleet.
Also, in partnership with the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), his logistics arm has facilitated fertilizer distribution nationwide, directly supporting smallholder farmers and strengthening Kenya’s food security.
His ambition is to position Buzeki Logistics as a continental leader in supply chain management, harnessing technology, sustainability, and customer focus to drive impact.
Zedekiah Buzeki Kiprop Bundotich’s Education
Buzeki began his early studies at Molo Academy (1988), Mangu High School (1991), and Kapngetuny High School (1992) before going abroad for further studies.
Between 1998 and 2000, he completed his O-Levels with the Oxford Cambridge & Royal Society of Arts (OCR), followed by his A-Levels between 2000 and 2002.
In 2004–2005, he earned a Diploma in Sales Management and Marketing from Cambridge International College.
He then pursued a Higher National Diploma in Business Management at Lincoln Business School, UK (2011–2012).
After that, he enrolled at Royal Holloway, University of London (2012–2015), where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Management with Marketing.
Political Journey
Beyond business, Buzeki has also made a mark in politics. In 2017, he contested the Uasin Gishu gubernatorial seat against then-Governor Jackson Mandago but lost.
On September 11, 2025, Buzeki officially joined the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party, expressing his new political ambitions.
He is expected to challenge the incumbent Governor Jonathan Chelilim (Koti Moja) for the county’s top seat in 2027.
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