Shaka Kariuki

Shaka Kariuki serves as Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Kuramo Capital Management, (KCM or Kuramo Capital), an Independent Investment Management firm driving catalytic private institutional capital to fast-growing African businesses to generate attractive returns and positively impact local communities. To date, Kuramo Capital has catalyzed over $3.5 billion to Sub-Sahara African businesses. 

Kuramo Capital has offices in Nairobi, Kenya; Lagos, Nigeria; and New York City, USA. KCM is the General Partner of the $800 million Kuramo Africa Opportunity Funds (KAOF) with commitments from leading US endowments, foundations, and pension plans including the largest pension fund in Africa. 

KAOF has direct and indirect investments in 200 companies in 30 Sub-Saharan African countries in sectors such as Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, Infrastructure, Power, Agribusiness, Technology, and Financial Services. 

In his role as the Chairman of the Investment Committee at Kuramo Capital, Shaka leads Kuramo Capital’s investment activities across Africa. Additionally he leads Kuramo Capital’s Board Governance strategy across all portfolio companies given his extensive Board experience. 

Shaka serves on the Boards of several portfolio companies and is the Chairman of the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK). He was previously Chairman of Deseret First Credit Union in the United States. For his ongoing commitment to advancing the private equity cause in East Africa, the East Africa Venture Capital Association (EAVCA) awarded him with the East African Leadership Award in 2022. Shaka has also been named Chairman of the Year by the East Africa Business Monthly magazine, for three consecutive years. 

Shaka currently serves as the Chairman of the Kenya Higher Education Foundation (KHEF), a foundation based in Nairobi, Kenya, to assist Kenyan Universities in preparing the next generation of global leaders. 

Prior to Kuramo, Shaka was a Portfolio Manager at the $9 billion Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators (DMBA), where he managed Private Equity Portfolio, Fixed Income Portfolio, and Domestic and Emerging Markets across asset classes. He also headed the investment efforts of DMBA Affiliates in Developed and Emerging Markets (UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, Samoa), including Africa. 

Prior to DMBA, Shaka was a Senior Member of the Global Finance team at Agilent Technologies where he managed finance teams in Asia, Europe, Japan, and the USA. He was an also an Associate in the Investment Banking Division of First Security Van Kasper. 

Shaka Kariuki received a Master’s in Government from Harvard University and holds a B.S. in Economics, and MBA with an emphasis in Finance from Brigham Young University. He is a member of the CFA Institute.