Kirubi set to acquire half of Centum Plc following nod by CMA - Capital Business
Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

/CFM

Ask Kirubi

Kirubi set to acquire half of Centum Plc following nod by CMA

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 24 – Businessman and industrialist Dr. Chris Kirubi is set to own half of Centum Investment Company PLC, following a go-ahead by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) to acquire more shares.

In a statement, CMA says it has allowed Kirubi to acquire up to 49.99 percent shares of Centum Investment Company PLC, without having to make a mandatory take-over offer to other shareholders.

The exemption, CMA said, is in accordance to its Takeovers & Mergers Regulations, which will see Kirubi progressively raise his shareholding in Centum from the current 30 percent threshold in open market transactions.

Kirubi sits on the board of Centum as a director and has been a key shareholder of the company for more than 20 years.

Kirubi is Centum’s single largest shareholder. Other key single shareholders include billionaires John Kibunga Kimani and Baloobhai Patel.

“This intended additional acquisition is my strong vote of confidence in the future prospects and long-term strategic direction of the company,” Dr Kirubi said in a statement.

He added that his target is to acquire the additional shares subject to their availability in the open market.

The exemption to acquire additional shares without triggering a mandatory takeover offer is in line with the CMA’s policy initiative of encouraging unrestricted demand for shares in publicly listed companies, which helps in price discovery of listed stocks.

The CMA also aims to enable shareholders to continue to publicly support companies that they are already invested in, while facilitating increased market liquidity.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

“Dr Kirubi is a renowned investor with many years of hands-on experience, his additional investment in Centum is an affirmation of his confidence in the company’s progressive performance,” said the Centum CEO James Mworia in a statement.

“This is also good news for our stock market, especially coming at a time when the Coronavirus pandemic has created uncertainties, it is an indicator that investors with a long term outlook need not hold back from participating in the bourse,” he added.

The exemption has been granted on the condition that all trading in Centum shares shall continue to be in compliance with all regulatory requirements relating to insider trading.

Centum is East Africa’s leading investment company, listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and Uganda Securities Exchange.

The company provides investors with access to a wide portfolio of inaccessible, quality, diversified investments.

 In the year ended March 2019, the company posted a 48 percent jump in net profit to Sh4.12 billion, partly boosted by capital gain and land revaluations.

Advertisement

More on Capital Business