Kenyan business executive
Samuel Kamau Macharia | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1942 (age 82–83) Kenya |
| Nationality | Kenyan |
| Citizenship | Kenya |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founder and chair of Royal Media Services |
Samuel Kamau Macharia (born in 1942), also known as SK Macharia, is the founder and chairman of Royal Media Services, one of Kenya's largest private radio and television networks. Royal Media Services' flagship outlets are Citizen TV and Radio Citizen. In 2012, Macharia was on the Forbes Top 10 List of African Millionaires to Watch.[1] He was on The Africa Report's 2013 list of the 50 most influential Africans.[2] He was also honoured with the 2015 Eastern Africa Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award.[3][4]
Samuel Kamau Macharia was born in 1942 in Ndakaini Village, Murang’a County, Kenya. He is the second of four children, who were squatters working on British settler plantations under the colonial government.[citation needed] The family subsequently moved to Embu, Kenya.[citation needed]
In 1988, Macharia was enrolled in Standard 1 (first class or year of primary school) at Wango Boarding Primary School. He later attended Karaba Secondary School from 1996, where he took the Kenya Certificate Secondary Education (KCSE) Examination.[citation needed] Macharia begun his studies at Embu College in 2005 and pursued a Diploma in Business Management, Sales and Marketing, graduating in 2007.[citation needed]
After his return to Kenya in 1969, Macharia worked as a provincial local government finance officer (supernumerary) in the Ministry of Local Government. He then worked with the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC), as well as Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE). In 1973, Macharia was appointed as head of a task force charged with auditing and later liquidating the Agricultural Development Corporation.[citation needed]
In 1979, Macharia left public service to run Madhupaper International Kenya Limited, a tissue production company he founded three years earlier. By 1985, Madhupaper was the only Kenyan tissue manufacturer and had 300 employees. Its main product, Rosy, became a household name. The company was placed under receivership on 25 October 1985 by Kenya Commercial Bank.[5][6]
As of 2016, the international research firm Ipsos cites Citizen TV as having a 62.5% share of the Kenyan television market.[7] Royal Media Services radio stations have a combined audience of 80% of Kenya's population. Its main radio station, Radio Citizen, has a 43% market share.[8] Other Royal Media Services brands include Inooro TV, Ramogi FM, Inooro FM, Musyi FM, Chamgei FM, Muuga FM, Egesa FM, Bahari FM, Mulembe FM, Wimwaro FM, Sulwe FM, Hot 96, and Vuuka FM.[9]
Macharia is married to Purity Gathoni Macharia and, together, have six children (two girls and four boys). Gathoni is the sister of former Kenyan Cabinet Minister Njeru Githae and Syracuse University Professor Micere Githae Mugo.[10]