Kiprono Kittony

Interview Summary

Kiprono Kittony is the Chairman of the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya. He begins the interview by talking about his childhood. He discusses how involvement in student bodies like AISEC, the world's largest youth-run, non-governmental, and not-for-profit organization, and internships helped him hone his leadership skills and become independent at an early stage of life. After completing his studies, he joined the graduate management training program at the United Tourism Corporation, where he worked in London for a year. Upon returning to Kenya, he was attracted by the business opportunities in the country. Eventually, he started multiple businesses including horticulture export, beer distribution and transportation, and co-founded Radio Africa with the Nigerian born and Kenya based Patrick Quarcoo.

Discussing the lessons he learnt early on in his career, Kittony argues that having a robust business model is important in enabling businesses to raise capital more easily. He also believes that turning business partnerships into friendships aligns partners to greater objectives and helps resolve conflicts amicably. He sees mentors as important in controlling emotions and avoiding rash decisions that could cause fallouts in partnerships.

Kittony advises young Africans who wish to go into entrepreneurship to think clearly, identify opportunities, work hard, and lead by example. He observes that “employees quit bosses. They don't quit organizations.”

Kittony explains that “many times I get people knocking on my door,” and notes that as a result his appointments to prestigious positions such as the l chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, chairman of the Nairobi Stock Exchange, vice-chairman of the World Chambers Federation, and the Chairman of the Nairobi Stock Exchange, frequently came about in a rather unplanned fashion. In the case of the Chamber of Commerce, he had done a research paper on the role of the chambers of commerce in Kenya’s transition from a British colony to independence during his undergraduate degree, and this sparked his interest in the chamber. In 2003, after the chamber had experienced major difficulties, he and a number of colleagues intervened with the ambition to reform the institution, especially its governance structure. Between 2003 and 2012 as Chairman, he worked on improving governance, and pursued three mandates: networking, advocacy, and an alternate dispute resolution mechanism for traders.

Regarding his philanthropic activities, Kittony discusses a number of topics including his involvement as a mentor at the Greenhorn Mentorship Program. With the Safaricom foundation, one of the largest corporate foundations in Kenya, he helped renovate his father’s school, adding a library, and a training center for athletes. Over the years, he also extended financial support for the education of orphaned girls in his region. A message he received from one of the girls he helped, which said, “Thank you for giving me a chance in life,” made him proud of the role he had played in her journey of becoming an engineer at the national road agency.

Kittony concludes the interview by expressing hope that people remember him as a fair arbiter who did his best to make the world a better place.

One of the things that is a key driver of success is the capability to think clearly about what needs to be done, and even more importantly, the ability to implement. Because so many people have such great ideas, but very few people have the temperament and the capability to actually go and get off the ground with what they're thinking.

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Additional Resources

• Eunniah Mbabazi, " Kiprono Kittony Appointed as NSE Board Chair,"

  The Kenyan Wall Street , July 14, 2020.

• Rosemary Muthoni, " NSE Extends Chairman Kiprono Kittony's Tenure by Another Year,"

  The Kenyan Wall Street , March 07, 2023.

• " NSE chairman Kiprono Kittony shortlisted for World Chambers Federation chair post. "

  Capital Business , September 8, 2023.

• Dr Alim Abubakre, " Kiprono Kittony: Building markets, multiplying opportunity,"

  Business Day , November 4, 2025.

• From Success to Setback: How Kiprono Kittony Rebuilt After Hitting Rock Bottom | Inspiring Journey, October 3, 2024.

• Doing Business in Nairobi, Kenya (A) [HBS Case]

Interview Citation Format

Interview with Kiprono Kittony, interviewed by Hakeem Belo-Osagie, Nairobi, Kenya, 16 May 2025, Creating Emerging Markets Oral History Collection, Baker Library Special Collections and Archives, Harvard Business School, http://www.hbs.edu/creating-emerging-markets/.