Jimnah Mbaru is a prominent expert in finance and the African economy. For over 40 years, Mbaru has been a key figure in Africa’s financial sector.
From 1971 to 1980, he served as Director of Industry at Kenya’s Ministry of Commerce. Since then, he has held important roles in major financial institutions, including the Nairobi Stock Exchange.
He currently serves as Chairman of Dyer & Blair, one of Africa’s largest investment banks.
Jimnah Mbaru Career Background
Jimnah Mbaru is the founder and chairman of Dyer & Blair Investment Bank, one of Africa’s leading investment banks.
He has also served as Chairman of the Nairobi City Council Interim Oversight Board from 2000 to 2002, overseeing the council’s financial management.
At the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Mbaru served as Vice-Chairman from 1991 to 1992 and later as Executive Chairman from 1992 to 2001, contributing to the overall growth and development of the exchange.
He also founded and served as Chairman of the African Stock Exchanges Association (ASEA) from 1993 to 1995.
In 1998, he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the National Bomb Blast Committee, overseeing the disbursement of charitable funds to families affected by the 1998 bomb blast in Nairobi.
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Mbaru has held several key positions in the banking sector, including Chairman of Union Bank of Kenya Limited from 1984 to 1990, Chairman of Kenya Savings & Mortgages Limited between 1983 and 1990, and Chairman of Jimba Credit Corporation Limited from 1980 to 1990.
During his career, Mbaru has led some of the greatest capital market deals in Africa, including the landmark $110 million KenGen IPO in 2006, the $60 million Celtel corporate bond in 2005, and the EADB bond in 1996, the first-ever corporate bond in the region.
In 2013, he ran for the position of Governor of Nairobi.
In 2004, Mbaru published Transforming Africa: New Pathways to Development, sharing his vision for a fully industrialized Africa and the policies needed for sustainable growth. The book became a bestseller and has been translated into 20 languages.
Britam Holdings Stake
According to Billionaires Africa, Mbaru owns a 5.15% stake in Britam Holdings Ltd., equivalent to 130 million shares. He sold 64.8 million shares in June 2023, making a profit.
The value of his remaining shares has increased from Ksh 582.4 million ($4.49 million) in March to Ksh 748.8 million ($5.77 million), a gain of Ksh 166.4 million ($1.28 million).
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Jimnah Mbaru Re-Elected as Britam Director
Jimnah Mbaru, a long-serving Non-Executive Director at Britam Holdings PLC, was reelected after voting by shareholders in line with Britam’s Articles of Association and the Capital Markets Authority’s Code of Corporate Governance.
His re-election was confirmed during the company’s 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
According to the AGM polling results shared on Friday, June 27, 2025, Mbaru’s reelection bid received 2,038,957,225 votes, representing 99.9981 percent of the total votes cast.
Education Background
Jimnah Mbaru earned a Bachelor of Science in Commerce after studying at the University of Nairobi between 1968 and 1971, where he graduated in the top quartile of his class and served on the Students’ Representative Council.
He earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from IMD Lausanne (formerly IMEDE) in 1978. Later, he completed a Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons) at the University of Nairobi (1998–2002), graduating at the top of his class.
He also attended Strathmore College from 1967 to 1968, where he obtained the East African Advanced Certificate of Education (A-Levels).
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