 |
| Image/Buzeki |
How Buzeki Became a Billionaire in His 30s and Got Featured by Forbes
Zedekiah Kiprop Bundotich, popularly known as Buzeki, is a Kenyan businessman and politician whose journey from selling milk in Mombasa to building a major business empire has attracted attention in Kenya and beyond.
The name Buzeki comes from his names — Bundotich Zedekiah Kiprop — giving rise to “Bu-Ze-Ki.” His story is one of humble beginnings, business expansion and diversification into dairy processing, transport and logistics.
Education
Buzeki began his education at Molo Academy before proceeding to Mang’u High School. He later pursued studies in sales, marketing and business management.
His educational background in sales and marketing later became closely connected to his early career in the dairy industry.
Starting Out as a Milk Hawker
Before becoming a prominent businessman, Buzeki started from a much more modest position.
He has previously recounted that he hawked milk in Mombasa at night using a bicycle, at one point earning about KSh80 a day.
His experience in selling and distributing milk eventually helped him move into more senior positions within the dairy industry.
Rising Through the Dairy Industry
Buzeki later became a regional dairy sales manager at Kilifi Plantations, where he helped expand the company's presence in the Coast region.
His published profile says he achieved and maintained about 80% of the milk-volume market share in the Coast region during his time as a regional dairy sales manager.
He also played a role in introducing Tuzo Milk to consumers in the coastal region and became one of the major milk distributors in the area.
After spending years distributing milk and other dairy products, Buzeki eventually moved from distributing other people's products to owning and processing his own.
Building Buzeki Dairy
In 2008, Buzeki established Buzeki Dairy Limited, marking his entry into milk processing and packaging.
The first plant was established in Kilifi County and was reported to have a capacity of approximately 25,000 litres of milk per day.
In 2010, he expanded into Molo by acquiring a milk-processing plant at Mau Summit. The facility operated under the Molo Milk brand.
The business later expanded further, with another plant in Limuru associated with the group.
The KSh1.1 Billion Molo Milk Deal
One of the major turning points in Buzeki's business career came in 2013, when his dairy business was acquired by Brookside Dairy.
Reports put the value of the transaction at approximately KSh1.1 billion, while Forbes later described the transaction as being worth about US$15 million.
The sale gave Buzeki significant capital and marked an important transition in his business career. Rather than remaining focused entirely on dairy, he increasingly expanded his interests into transport and logistics.
How Buzeki Entered Transport and Logistics
Buzeki had already ventured into transportation before the sale of his dairy business.
In 2004, he founded Buzeki Enterprises Limited, expanding his business interests into the transport sector.
The company later secured contracts involving major organisations, including Bamburi Cement and the United Nations World Food Programme.
The transport business eventually became one of the major components of Buzeki's wider business empire.
From Dairy Entrepreneur to Forbes-Featured Businessman
Buzeki's business success eventually attracted international attention.
In June 2017, Forbes published a profile titled “Ten Multi-Millionaires From Kenya You Should Know.” Buzeki was included in the list as Kiprop Bundotich and identified as the founder of Kenya's Buzeki Group of companies.
Forbes described the group as having interests in areas including logistics, oil trading, heavy-vehicle dealership and insurance.
Forbes also reported that Bundotich had previously been involved in the dairy business and had sold his Buzeki Dairy operation to Brookside for approximately US$15 million.
The Billionaire in His 30s
Buzeki has been widely described in Kenyan media as having made his first billion in his 30s.
The description is largely associated with the growth of his dairy and transport businesses and the eventual sale of his dairy operation.
Forbes' 2017 profile placed him among Kenyan multi-millionaires, while Kenyan media reports have referred to him as a billionaire businessman.
It is important to note that describing someone as a billionaire can refer to the estimated value of assets, companies or business interests and does not necessarily mean that the individual holds KSh1 billion in cash.
Growing the Trucking Empire
After expanding further into transport and logistics, Buzeki significantly increased his fleet.
By 2021, reports indicated that his businesses had approximately 289 trucks and 141 trailers.
The expansion was partly financed through substantial borrowing, reflecting the large amount of capital required to operate and expand a major transport business.
The Debt Challenges
Buzeki's entrepreneurial journey has also involved financial and legal challenges.
Reports in 2020 and subsequent years detailed a KSh2.7 billion financing dispute involving NCBA and Buzeki Enterprises, with the financing connected to the acquisition of trucks and trailers.
The business has also faced other disputes involving creditors and business assets.
In February 2026, Business Daily reported that the High Court backed an I&M Bank bid to recover KSh864.7 million from Buzeki Enterprises Limited.
These developments form another part of Buzeki's business story, showing that his expansion into large-scale enterprises also came with significant financial obligations and disputes.
Buzeki's Political Journey
Beyond business, Buzeki became known nationally through politics.
He first attracted significant political attention when he contested the Uasin Gishu gubernatorial seat in 2017 as an independent candidate.
He later contested the same position during the 2022 General Election.
His move from business into politics expanded his public profile and established him as a prominent figure in Kenya's Rift Valley political scene.
The Story Behind the Name Buzeki
The name Buzeki has become both his public identity and a business brand.
It was formed from parts of his names:
BU — Bundotich
ZE — Zedekiah
KI — Kiprop
The name subsequently became associated with several of his business interests, including his dairy and transport ventures.
From a Bicycle to a Business Empire
Buzeki's story stretches from selling milk on a bicycle in Mombasa to building large-scale dairy and logistics businesses.
His journey involved several major stages: milk hawking, sales, dairy distribution, milk processing, entrepreneurship, the sale of his dairy business, transport and logistics expansion, and eventually political involvement.
His inclusion in Forbes' 2017 list of Kenyan multi-millionaires became one of the notable international acknowledgements of his business career.
Today, Buzeki remains known for his entrepreneurial background, his involvement in large-scale transport and logistics, and his subsequent entry into Kenyan politics.
