Dr. Benson I. Wairegi (born 1953) is a distinguished accountant and business executive in Kenya. He currently serves as the Group Managing Director of Britam Holdings Plc (Britam), a leading financial services conglomerate headquartered in Nairobi. Under his leadership, Britam has evolved from a modest home service insurance provider into a diversified financial services powerhouse with operations in seven countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Malawi, and Mozambique. Today, Britam’s portfolio spans life insurance, general insurance, health insurance, retirement planning, and property investments.
Career Journey
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Early Career: Wairegi began his professional journey in 1977 at the age of 24, joining PricewaterhouseCoopers as an audit trainee.
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British-American Insurance: In 1980, he moved to British-American (later Britam) as Chief Accountant.
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Strategic Ownership: In 1984, following regulatory reforms requiring foreign-owned insurers to cede at least 33.3% of their shareholding to Kenyan nationals, Wairegi boldly took out a personal mortgage of KSh600,000 against his home to acquire a 3.3% stake in Britam. He also rallied other Kenyans to invest, ensuring local participation in the company’s future.
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Leadership at Britam: That same year, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer, marking the beginning of a transformative era. Over the decades, Wairegi has overseen Britam’s expansion into a regional financial services group. His personal investment in the company has grown significantly, reaching KSh1.7 billion (US$19 million) by February 2014.
Legacy
Dr. Wairegi’s story is one of vision, resilience, and strategic leadership. From taking a personal financial risk to secure Kenyan ownership in Britam, to steering the company into a multi-country financial services leader, his career reflects the power of bold decision-making and long-term commitment to growth.
