Rostam Aziz, who is poised to become Nation Media Group (NMG)’s majority shareholder, is a Tanzanian billionaire with notable ties to Kenyan President William Ruto, primarily through major investments in Kenya’s energy and media sectors.
Ruto personally commissioned Aziz’s Taifa Gas $130 million LPG plant in Mombasa’s Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone in February 2023, calling him a “resilient investor” who overcame five years of government delays.
“I know the struggles he has been through to get to this point. The investment should’ve been done 5 years ago, but it was delayed due to government shenanigans here in Kenya. I have put that to an end,” Ruto said.
Taifa Gas is now positioned to fill the gap left by KOKO Networks and support the country’s clean energy transition.
This project, the largest private foreign direct investment in Kenya since 1977, aims to boost competition and lower cooking gas prices.
Details Of Aziz’s Taarifa Limited Acquiring NMG
Taarifa Limited is a private investment company fully owned by Tanzanian businessman Rostam Aziz, established primarily to acquire a controlling stake in Kenya’s Nation Media Group (NMG).
Announced on March 9, 2026, the deal involves Taarifa purchasing 100% of NPRT Holdings Africa Limited from the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), granting indirect ownership of NMG’s 54.08% stake (92,618,177 shares).
The transaction ends AKFED’s 66-year partnership with NMG, which began in 1959, and positions Taarifa to drive NMG’s digital transformation while maintaining its public listing on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
Educational Background of Rostam Aziz
Born on August 21, 1964, in Dodoma, Tanzania, Rostam Aziz grew up in a family that majored in business and community service.
He completed his primary and secondary schooling in Tanzania’s Tabora region, specifically Igunga District, before pursuing higher education abroad.
Later, Rostam Aziz earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.
Political career
In the early 1990s, Rostam Aziz entered business through his family’s trading firm before launching independent ventures in Tanzania’s agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
Aziz entered politics in 1994 when he was elected Member of Parliament for the Igunga constituency in Tanzania’s Tabora Region under the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.
He served in the position until 2011, securing several re-elections during his tenure.
Between 2005 and 2007, he rose within the party ranks and was appointed CCM National Treasurer.
Also Read: Aga Khan Sells Nation Media Group to Tanzanian Tycoon
During this period, he also became a member of the party’s Central Committee and Politburo, positions he held until 2011.
Business Career and Networth
In the 2000s, Rostam Aziz expanded into telecommunications and co-founded Vodacom Tanzania, where he held a significant stake estimated at between 18 and 35 per cent.
The company grew into one of the leading mobile network providers in East Africa.
In 2011, Aziz stepped down from his parliamentary position to focus on expanding his family business interests.
Two years later, in 2013, Forbes recognised Azizi as Tanzania’s first dollar billionaire, estimating his net worth at over $1 billion.
Investments in telecommunications, energy, and manufacturing largely drove his wealth.
In 2014, he sold a 17 per cent stake in Vodacom Tanzania through Cavalry Holdings in a deal valued at approximately $250 million.
Business Expansion and Entry into Kenya
From the 2010s onward, Aziz diversified his investments across multiple sectors.
Also Read: Details of Taifa Gas, the Fuel Set to Replace KOKO in Kenya
He developed Taifa Gas, which became one of the leading liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) companies in the region.
His portfolio also includes interests in MIC Tanzania, which acquired telecom operators TIGO and Zantel in 2022 for about $100 million, as well as investments in Caspian Mining, Ace Leather and real estate holdings in Dubai and Oman.
In 2022, Rostam Aziz announced plans to establish a Taifa Gas liquefied petroleum gas plant at the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone in Mombasa, a project valued at about $130 million.
The facility was later commissioned in 2023 by Kenyan President William Ruto and was described as the largest private foreign direct investment in Kenya since 1977.
In 2025, a court upheld the development of the Mombasa LPG terminal project following legal challenges.
In 2026, Taarifa Limited, a company associated with Azizi, acquired a 54 per cent stake in Nation Media Group from the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development.
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