
Udi Gecaga is known for several key aspects of his life and career, particularly within Kenyan society. He is a prominent Kenyan businessman and member of the extended Kenyatta family. Here’s what he’s known for
Corporate leadership
- Former Chairman of Lonrho East Africa: During the era of Jomo Kenyatta, he was a notable figure and became the chairman of Lonrho’s East African operations at a relatively young age (in his 20s) in 1973. Lonrho, under its founder Roland “Tiny” Rowland, was known for strategically placing individuals with ties to powerful families in key positions across Africa.
- Business Ventures: After his time at Lonrho, Udi Gecaga maintained a portfolio of business and property holdings. He was particularly known as the owner of Masharaki Motors, which held the BMW franchise in Kenya for many years.
- Educated at Alliance High School and Princeton University in the 1960s.
 Family and political connections
Former husband of Jeni Wambui, President Jomo Kenyatta’s daughter, making him brother‑in‑law to Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Father to:
- Soiya Gecaga – corporate lawyer and founder of We the Change Foundation.
- Jomo Gecaga – formerly a foreign affairs officer and President Kenyatta’s personal secretary.
- Nana Gecaga – CEO of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
 Legal and inheritance battles
- Involved in high-profile inheritance disputes following his father Bethuel Mareka Gecaga’s death:
- Won a KSh 55.9 million court ruling against his step‑mother, Margaret Gacigi, over funds in a joint account.
- Secured rights to control and evict from eight high-value properties in Nairobi’s upscale Muthaiga estate, with courts ruling they were not matrimonial assets.
Legacy and influence
- Member of one of Kenya’s most influential families with deep roots in politics, business, and elite institutions.
- Through leadership roles and succession rights over vast assets, he remains a significant figure in Kenya’s economic and social landscape.
In summary, Udi Gecaga is best known as a high‑profile corporate leader from the Kenyatta dynasty, deeply intertwined with Kenya’s political and business elite, and central to several inheritance and property disputes that made national headlines.





