Mohamed Jaffer is a Mombasa-based billionaire who has built one of East Africa’s most influential businesses and energy infrastructure.
Born in 1948 in Mombasa, Jaffer is the chairman of the MJ Group, with operations in bulk cargo handling, grain terminals, petroleum storage, fuel importation, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distribution.
According to the Africa Report 2025, the MJ Group is valued at approximately KSh16.3 billion. MJ Group was established in the 1990s, with Jaffer investing KSh4.5 billion ($35 million).
Businesses Owned by Mohamed Jaffer
Jaffer’s business empire began with his ventures in a car dealership in the late 1960s and in pallet manufacturing in the 1970s, according to HBS interviews.
In addition to the dealership, he secured grain-handling approvals in 1992 at the Port of Mombasa, transforming the processing of imports and reducing costs for East African markets.
Grain Bulk Handlers
Alongside the Varsani family, Jaffer holds majority stakes in the Bulk Handlers Limited (GBHL). GBHL operates the specialized bulk grain terminal at berths 3 and 4 of the Port of Mombasa.
According to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), GBHL commenced operations in 2000.
The facility, built at a cost of over $35 million in the 1990s and now valued at more than $140 million, boasts a vessel-handling capacity of 600 metric tonnes per hour.
GBHL has an inland terminal in Embakasi, Nairobi, and, launched in April 2023, serves not only Kenya but also transit cargo for Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Sudan.
In addition, the GBHL has, in some cases, been rebranded as Bulkstream Limited while retaining its dominant position in dry bulk cargo handling.
Also read: Little-Known Details of One Petroleum and Oryx Energies Companies.
Mbaraki Bulk Terminal Ltd
Through Baraki Bulk Terminal Ltd, which provides multi-petroleum-product storage and handling facilities at the Port of Mombasa, Jaffer has made developments in the petroleum sector.
One Petroleum Limited (OPL) was established in November 2010 and has since grown into a dominant player in the oil marketing industry across East and Central Africa.
One Petroleum Limited operates as a subsidiary of Mbaraki Bulk Terminal, with Company records listing Jaffer family members, including sons Mujtaba (Mojtaba) Mohamed Jaffer, Ali Abbas Jaffer, and Mohamed Husein Jaffer, as directors.
The company has been active in fuel importation, including recent controversial shipments cleared outside standard government-to-government arrangements.
Additionally, OPL is a part of the Oil Spill Mutual Aid Group (OSMAG) and holds the position of senior corporate member of the Petroleum Institute of East Africa (PIEA).
Also Read: Billionaire Who Owns Company Behind Pro Gas and Sea Gas
LPG Distribution
Jaffer controls a share of Kenya’s cooking gas market through Africa Gas and Oil Company Limited (AGOL), which operates a large LPG import terminal at Mombasa.
AGOL owns Proto Energy Limited, an ISO-certified company and one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of LPG.
Proto Energy Limited produces and sells popular brands, including Pro Gas, Sea Gas, and Oto Gas.
As of April 2026, Mohammed Jaffer, now 78, continues to actively oversee his businesses in port logistics, grain handling, petroleum storage, fuel importation, and LPG distribution in Kenya and the wider East African region.
