Wananchi Online co-founder Njeri Rionge is Dead. Former ICT Minister and brother to Njeri, Joe Mucheru confirmed her demise.
Njeri was the brain behind Zuku, and the Wananchi Group. She will be remembered as one of East Africa’s leading women entrepreneurs and among the region’s very few women pioneer in the Information Communication and Technology sector.
“Goodbye Njeri, we will miss you greatly,” stated Mucheru.
The ICT Pioneer founded East Africa’s first mass market internet service provider, Wananchi Online, 15 years ago.
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Africa’s Internet Contribution
The company operated in five countries in Africa which were Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi and most recently Zambia.
Njeri was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, as the first child in a family of five. She obtained her degree in Business Administration and Management from the United States International University in 2000.
Further, she held various licenses and certifications in corporate governance, internal audit, artificial intelligence, and valuation and financial modeling.
Her contribution to ICT made internet connectivity affordable for the average household for the first time.
Wananchi company grew to become the largest internet service provider in East Africa with a network of five regional offices.
After her success with Wananchi Online, Njeri went ahead to found ignite a management consultancy firm dedicated to helping African businesses leave lasting legacies.
Other Positions Njeri Held
Further under her leadership, ignite has expanded to include Ignite Lifestyle a health care consultancy, Insite a digital marketing firm and Business Lounge an incubator that provides support for Kenyan startups and foreign companies looking to enter the country.
Njeri held board positions at Unilever Tea (Brooke Bond Kenya), the institute of Directors (Kenya), the internet corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA) and Ambulance Air Rescue (AAR)Holdings.
Additionally, she was an advisory committee member of sport at the service of Humanity at Vatican.
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Forbes Feature in Africa
In 2011 Njeri was featured by Forbes Magazine as Africa’s most successful woman.
Additionally, Forbes described her as one of Kenya’s most successful and revered serial entrepreneurs.
