Find out all about the lavish life style of Kenya's rich kids

Ruling class kid

Just a few days after her father became President Ngina Kenyatta created a major buzz after posting photos of her posing in her room in State House, on Facebook. She is a social and a happy girl who attends showbiz events freely and is never shy to pose for paparazzi.

As the photos started doing rounds on social media, she was captured attending a fashion show and within no time, she became a good folder for the entertainment media as everyone became curious wanting to know follow her open lifestyle.

And her brother Jomo Kenyatta has also been in the public limelight thanks to his cloth line that he launched last year.

And the First Family kids are not the only rich man’s kids on the spotlight in a generation when young people are getting exposed to the ‘exclusive’ living. The Deputy President’s daughter June Ruto has also been in the news, most recently for hosting her friends to a private birthday party held in Karen. Same has been the case with Esther Passaris’ daughter Makenna who is now a musician and Kiambu Governor Kabogo’s son Alvin, known to blow big money on his party nights. These are not your ordinary Kenyan youth. Theirs is a life of luxury and fun iced with exclusive holiday tours and experiences in top international schools, a dream many one at their age only wish for.

They don’t shop at your ordinary malls neither do they drive in matatus. Enjoying the pleasures of bouncers and other attendants attached to them, theirs is a life in the real money world.

From the onset, she is nothing you would expect: humble, grounded with a big heart of gold. Saumu Mbuvi, daughter to flamboyant Senator Mike Sonko would rather go to ordinary schools rather than follow in the footsteps of her siblings who go to international schools. “I went to a public provincial high school. I was supposed to go to university in the United Kingdom but I refused,” she says.

Her driver gets impatient. She is running late for her evening flight to the Coast for a weekend in their beach house.

Chauffeur driven with security detail at all times, she loves to do what young girls her age do for fun. “I enjoy traveling. I’ve been to so many places locally and beyond borders. I have a serious thing for shoes so I am always shopping. I also enjoy going for exclusive parties,” she says, while trying to play it down. From her beautiful hair, it is obvious she spares no cost, piquing my curiosity which leads me to ask how much she spends on average.

“I love good hair. It doesn’t matter how much it costs as long as it looks good,” she tells me. Together with her siblings, they travel with their mother every other month to purchase their favourite designer items. “We mostly got to Paris, New York, UK and Dubai for shopping. I love designer stuff like Channel and Gucci. But I also do Mr Price and Ngara. Why not?” she quips with a smile. A weekly allowance from her father is meant to erase any doubt as to whether she is comfortable. “My dad always insists even when I don’t need the money so I just take it and keep it in my account,’ says this tech-savvy girl who changes her phone every two months.

In his early 20’s the youngest son of former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Klein, understands only too well the blessings life has accorded him. A day in his life may read as follows: meetings over drinks at the Norfolk, Windsor Golf and Country Club, or play pool at KBC with friends after attending class. When time allows, golf, polo or shooting darts are a given. Before calling it a night, studio recordings and local hangout joints are a given. “We do a lot of things to stay active, just depends on our availability. Weekends for example could consist of road trips to Sagana for white water rafting and bungee jumping, or just a chill day in the house discussing and exchanging ideas with peers over video games. June-July-August is the summer holiday period, so guys fly down to the Coast or head to other exclusive spots. Personally, raving is not my cup of tea, I just appreciate a good ambience. I don’t see the need to buy expensive drinks when the effect is always the same on your body,’’ he adds. He managed to build a recording studio, HeartBeat Media, partnering with renowned producer Kanyeria while still pursuing further studies at the university.

“I don’t wish to lead a life of contentment, and my support base is constantly challenging me and encouraging me to keep going,” he says.

He tries to put his energy on music, books and gadgets. “Having an affluent background poses many benefits as well as challenges, because one may sometimes feel pigeon-holed to pursue certain careers. The biggest misconception which I feel exists in the bourgeoisie is that most of us may be regarded as naïve and gullible, cornered and trapped in our fortresses, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he adds.

Self-made millionaires

He is a self-made millionaire from a humble background. Driving nice cars and living in his own property, Jeffrey Andare does it all. By day he goes as an IT professional for a big company and manages his long string of businesses from clubs, recording studio to a microfinance business.

“I do a lot. My record label is called Rahpasa which is also the name of my restaurant. I give loans to small businesses and young people at a very low interest through the microfinance, I also do consultancy for big organisations, farming and volunteer work,’’ he says.

Money has afforded him the chance to give back to society, giving him much joy. “I can afford a decent life. I support my family and others in the ‘hood through charity, social work and volunteering,” he says. He has been to several countries with his most notable being Tanzania, Denmark and Germany. “On a night out when I want to spoil myself I would spend Sh25,000 if need be. Honestly I don’t like spending so much in that area because it’s not that rewarding and it’s not a worthy course. I would rather feed a needy family even though it’s good to make one happy and have fun,’’ Jeffrey explains.

Expatriates

Born to a white father and an African mother, Kay as her friends know her, she has it all from the time you meet her. Beauty, brains and privilege are adjectives that can be used to describe her. Growing up in Europe and Australia before greater opportunities brought them to Kenya, she has attended international schools from the word go. Her aura oozes of qualities picked from high places without any air of pretense. “I grew up with different people and I appreciate all cultures. We’re all unique and special in our own ways,” she says with a foreign accent. The only girl of four children, her most memorable moment came when she turned 18.

“I couldn’t believe it when my parents told me they had paid for me and my four friends a luxurious trip to Paris fashion week during the fall with everything covered including our very own personal jet. I still get chills thinking about it,” she says, unable to hide a smile.

Not forgetting that she got a car of her choice which she reveals is a Mercedes and a pair of diamond earrings from her mother.

A fashion enthusiast, the 22-year-old reveals that she is wearing an Armani dress, a cashmere sweater and black Jimmy Choo’s that cost $1,200 (Sh106, 800). “It was a limited edition which I had to pre-order,” she explains, as if the shock written all over my face were not enough.

Currently in an eight-bedroom villa in a serene area of Nanyuki, one of the many properties her family owns comes with amenities such as a heated swimming pool, indoor Jacuzzi, basketball court and some acres of undisturbed property they use for range shooting and dirt bike racing-yes, these things happen in Kenya. “My brothers are into motorbikes its crazy really. You should see them. And the reason we have the shooting range is because my father grew up in the country where they would shoot game so he carries his hobby everywhere we go,” she says.

At her age, she has a chauffeur and personal maid, something she ‘blames’ her over protective parents who still baby her.

“It’s embarrassing when my maid serves my guests especially when I am dating because people judge you whether you like it or not,” she notes. Besides her busy schedule, partying is the next big thing in her young life.

“I don’t drink but I know how to party. Studying in the UK makes it really easy and cheap to travel around Europe. I’ve been to Ibiza, Barcelona, Los in Greece and next semester break we go to Prague. I love eclectic music and that’s what these parties mostly offer. It’s super crazy,’’ Kay says with a cheeky smirk across her pretty face showing me some of the pictures from her iPad Air.

Mark on the other hand is a West African and thanks to his father’s job in a big NGO, he has rubbed shoulders with the wealthy elite at Peponi and International School of Kenya before he went to study aviation in South Africa. Having lived in Kenya for more than 15 years, he cannot utter a Swahili word besides habari and asante in a very funny accent.

“Honestly speaking I’ve never been to the city centre,’’ he says.

“We live on the other side and most of the times we are outside the country and when we are around we hang out at home since we have everything there or at the country clubs with friends around my home area. My parents are very strict I get driven everywhere so I’ve never had the chance to explore. I see places in TV I want to visit but my parents would kill me,” he says via a phone interview while away in Brazil with his friends. He had gone with his siblings for the World Cup.

The preacher’s kid:

Paul Munyaka is a student at the Dallas Baptist University studying theology, but when not in class he is a drummer and performer at his father’s House of Grace Church in Nairobi West. Founder of Amazi Limited, a company that deals in the transport and delivery of clean water to households armed with a fleet of lorries, Paul pursues other interests.

“Currently my mum and sister are my directors, so as I finish up my studies abroad I am grateful to have people I trust hold it down for me at home.’

He has had several tattoos and has had an evolution of hairstyles ranging from cornrows to dyed hair and everything in between. On the other hand, the sister - Esther - who attended Brookhouse International School and currently in USIU is a daddy’s girl, who when not in the worship team singing, is out hanging out with Hope Wanjiku who happens to be the brother’s ex-girlfriend and Ruth Matete. Hemingways Hotel, Karen and trips to the coast are but a few of the random luxuries she loves.