Sarbjit Singh Rai: Kenyan Businessman Leading East Africa's Industrial Powerhouse
- Sarbjit Singh Rai founded Sarrai Group, expanding it across East and Southern Africa, with key operations in sugar, cement, and wood processing.
- The group owns multiple sugar, wood processing, and manufacturing companies, making it a key player in the regions economy.
- In 2021, Sarrai Group secured a 20-year lease to revive the struggling Mumias Sugar Company, solidifying its dominance in the sugar industry.
Sarbjit Singh Rai is a well-known figure in East Africas industrial sector, renowned for his remarkable business success and the sustained growth of Sarrai Group, one of Ugandas leading industrial conglomerates. His journey has firmly established him as one of Africas most influential industrialists.
Born into one of Kenyas most respected business families, Sarbjit has built a diverse empire spanning sugar production, wood processing, manufacturing, and cement, with operations in Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi.
While his cousin, Jaswant Rai, chose to focus on the familys sugar business in Kenya, Sarbjit took a different path. He expanded his business beyond Kenyas borders, securing his place as a key player in the broader East African business scene.
Building an industrial legacy in AfricaSarbjit Singh Rais journey in the business world is grounded in a family legacy that stretches back decades. His father and uncle, Indian immigrants to Kenya, laid the foundation for the Rai business empire with their ventures in trading and manufacturing, which would eventually grow into industrial powerhouses.
Instead of staying in Kenya to run the family business, Sarbjit ventured to Uganda, where he founded Sarrai Groupa conglomerate now regarded as one of the most influential industrial players in East and Southern Africa.