The story of Kenya’s corporate landscape is incomplete without the mention of Wilfred Murungi, a man who built a multibillion-shilling empire while remaining an absolute enigma to the public.
As the founder of Mastermind Tobacco Kenya (MTK), Murungi did what many thought impossible: he went head-to-head with the multinational giant British American Tobacco (BAT) and carved out a massive market share.
Yet, despite his immense wealth and influence, he lived like a ghost and exited the world in a veil of strict secrecy that left his own village stunned.
From Kenya Power Engineer to Tobacco Titan
Wilfred Murungi was an electrical engineer by profession. He started his career at Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) before transitioning to BAT Kenya, where he rose to the position of technical director.
During his tenure at BAT, Murungi mastered the technical and logistical intricacies of tobacco manufacturing. In 1985, armed with deep industry knowledge, he made the audacious decision to leave BAT and venture out on his own.
The next two years were a grueling test of patience and strategy. Murungi spent this time contracting local farmers, setting up a leaf processing plant, and building a cigarette manufacturing facility from scratch.
In 1989, Mastermind Tobacco Kenya launched its flagship product, Supermatch. Priced competitively, Supermatch quickly became one of Kenya’s most accessible and popular cigarette brands, particularly among low-income earners.
MTK followed this success with Rocket, another budget-friendly brand that captured the rural and low-income urban markets.
By 2002, Murungi’s David-and-Goliath strategy had paid off. Mastermind Tobacco controlled roughly 22% of the Kenyan cigarette market, firmly establishing itself as the second-largest tobacco manufacturer behind BAT.
The rivalry between the two companies was fierce, marked by intense corporate warfare and allegations of espionage targeted at MTK. Under Murungi’s leadership, MTK expanded its footprint beyond Kenya, exporting products to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Africa.
His corporate acumen was widely recognized, leading to his appointment on various high-profile boards, including ARM Cement, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
Financial Turmoil, Farmer Debts, and Policy Manipulation
While Mastermind Tobacco was a commercial success, Murungi’s empire faced severe operational and legal headwinds in its later years. The company repeatedly fell into trouble over its failure to pay the very farmers who sustained its supply chain.
In 2014, media reports revealed that MTK owed tobacco farmers in Migori over Sh100 million in unpaid fees, leading to the company being temporarily barred from purchasing local leaf.
The financial strain persisted. In 2016, local dailies exposed another Sh50 million debt owed to farmers, which company insiders acknowledged while pleading for patience.
By 2018, the debt had bounced back to Sh100 million, prompting regulators to advise farmers against selling their crop to MTK.
Beyond farmer grievances, Wilfred Murungi was frequently accused of using aggressive lobbying tactics to bend tobacco legislation in his company’s favor.
In 2007, a major controversy erupted when it was reported that MTK had funded a coastal retreat for about 40 Members of Parliament to heavily deliberate on pending tobacco control laws.
The multi-billion KRA Tax War
Perhaps the biggest shadow over Murungi’s legacy was his long-standing battle with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). The taxman accused Mastermind Tobacco of systematic tax evasion, culminating in a massive dispute over billions of shillings in unpaid taxes.
KRA moved to recover Sh1.67 billion in excise duty and value-added tax (VAT), alongside another Sh399.98 million in unpaid duties. In total, the tax collector sought to claw back Sh2.93 billion from the tobacco firm.
The bitter dispute dragged on for years and became a subject of parliamentary inquiry. It was only in 2019, just months before Murungi’s death, that an agreement was reached, forcing the billionaire to place some of his prime properties on forced sale to settle the multi-billion tax deficit.
A Reclusive Life and an Unbelievably Secret Burial
If Murungi’s business life was loud and controversial, his personal life was the exact opposite. He was a notorious recluse. In his ancestral home of Magutuni village in Maara, Tharaka Nithi County, the tycoon was a stranger.
Wilfred Murungi rarely interacted with neighbors, and his four children, Audrey Wanja, Angela Muthoni, Erick Mugambi, and Allan Murungi were virtually unknown to the villagers.
Murungi passed away on Thursday morning, June 6, 2019. True to his fiercely private nature, he ensured that his final send-off was completely closed to the world.
On the day of his burial, his body was flown directly to the village in a chopper and transferred into a sleek Mercedes Benz hearse.
The entire funeral lasted less than an hour. Only eight family members were permitted to witness the actual interment. Heavily armed police officers cordoned off the compound, ensuring that curious villagers and journalists were kept far away.
Even the local men hired to dig his grave were ordered to stay outside the gate until the casket was lowered; they were only allowed back inside to fill the earth. No photographs were permitted.
The strict protocol mirrored the funeral of his late wife, Joyce Ithiru Murungi, whose burial years prior was attended by a mere 40 people, with some reports claiming the tycoon didn’t even sit through the ceremony, choosing only to escort the body from Nairobi.
Two days after the tightly guarded village burial, a public requiem mass was held at the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi. Yet, even in the city, the mystery remained. Attendees were greeted not by a casket but by a lone portrait of Wilfred Murungi resting on a table where his body would have traditionally been placed.
He lived in the shadows, built a multi-billion shilling empire out of sight, and slipped away completely on his own terms.
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