COMPANY INFORMATION
(this information is current as at December 2023)
REA Vipingo Plantations Limited was incorporated in Kenya in 1995 and comprises the company, which has four wholly owned subsidiaries; Dwa Estate Limited, which owns the Dwa estate, Amboni Plantations Limited, which owns the three Tanzanian estates, Amboni Spinning Mill Limited, which owns the Spinning Mill in Tanzania and Wigglesworth Exporters Limited, a warehousing and shipping operation based in Mombasa, Kenya.
With an annual sisal fibre production of over 17,000 tonnes, the company is by far the largest sisal producer in Africa. Other than some fibre that is used in the group’s sisal spinning mill in Tanzania, all fibre produced is exported.
The group employs over 4,000 people, most of whom are housed on the estates which provide medical facilities for the employees and their dependants, as well as schools and other amenities.
Directors
The REA Vipingo group headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya and the directors of the company are:
Oliver Fowler, Chairman, was involved in commercial legal practice as a Partner in Kaplan & Stratton for over 30 years and remains a consultant with the firm. He is a director of a number of companies in Kenya and is Chairman of I&M Group PLC.
Stephen Waruhiu, is a licensed valuer and estate agent. He is the managing director of Lloyd Masika Limited and a non-executive director of Kakuzi PLC and International House Limited and has been practising as a valuer and estate agent for over 40 years.
Richard Robinow, has been a director of R.E.A. Holdings plc since 1978. He and his brother together own R.E.A. Trading plc, the parent of REA Vipingo. After an initial career in investment banking, he has been involved in the plantation business since 1974. Until his retirement from such positions, having attained the age of 70, he was for many years a non executive director of M P Evans Group plc and of Sipef SA. R.E.A. Holdings plc, M P Evans Group plc and Sipef SA are European public companies which own and operate plantations in various parts of the world.
Neil Cuthbert, has been Group Managing Director since 2000 having previously been group General Manager. He has had overall responsibility for the Kenya estates since the formation of the company and has worked for the REA group in Kenya since 1979.
Brown Ondego has over 50 years experience in diverse international, geographical, and cultural business environments with extensive background in the Maritime Industry. He has served as Executive Chairman and Group Chief Executive of Rift Valley Railways and on various boards as non-executive director including Absa Bank Kenya, Grain Bulk Handlers and MJ Group and has served as Chairman of Kenya Railways Corporation, Kenya National Ferry Services Limited and Kenya National Shipping Line Limited.
He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
Secretary and registered office
Grace Kambuni
Certified Public Secretary (Kenya)
1st Floor, Block D,
Wilson Business Park,
Langata Road,
P.O.Box 17648, Nairobi 00500Registrars
C&R Group
IKM Place, Tower B, 1st Floor,
5th Ngong Avenue,
P.O. Box 8484, Nairobi 00100.Auditors
Deloitte & Touche,
Certified Public Accountants (Kenya),
Deloitte Place, Waiyaki Way,
P.O.Box 40092, Nairobi 00100
Company Information
With an annual sisal fibre production of over 17,000 tonnes, the company is by far the largest sisal producer in Africa
Sisal fibre grading and packing at the Dwa estate, in
The group employs over 3,000 people, most of who are housed on the estates
The estates provide medical facilities for the employees and their dependants, as well as schools (picture) and other amenities