Nakumatt

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Nakumatt Holdings Limited was a private Kenyan supermarket chain based in Nairobi. It was founded in 1987 and grew to become a major retailer in East Africa.

By December 2015, Nakumatt had 65 stores across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. It employed more than 5,500 people and earned over US$450 million in revenue. The company planned to expand further in Africa.

In October 2017, Nakumatt ran out of funds and stopped paying rents and wages, leading to the closure of about 60 stores. By March 2021, only one Nakumatt store remained in operation.

The chain began expanding outside Kenya in 2008 with its first store in Kigali, Rwanda. In June 2009, the first Uganda store opened in Kampala. In November 2010, Nakumatt acquired Payless Supermarket in Kampala, bringing Uganda’s stores to three. The Kololo store in Kampala cost about US$3 million to open, and the Payless acquisition cost around US$650,000. Nakumatt planned to open five new stores outside Kenya in early 2016.

In Kenya, by December 2019 Nakumatt operated five stores: one in Nakuru and four in Nairobi (Prestige, Lavington, Embakasi, Mega). The Mega branch on Uhuru Highway later moved to a smaller space near a proposed Carrefour Mega.

Historically, Nakumatt’s turnover was over US$200 million in 2006 and rose to about US$650 million in 2013. It was privately owned by the Atul Shah family. In 2013 there were reports of plans to sell a 25% stake to an investor, while the Shah family would remain the largest shareholders.

Nakumatt had a poor safety record, highlighted by the deadly 2009 fire that killed about 29 people. Afterward, management said steps were taken to improve safety. The chain also helped Nairobi’s urban development by building upscale malls with shops, banks, theatres and eateries.

The company’s website was hacked in 2014 by Iranian hackers, who displayed a message that the site was under construction; a new site, nakumatt.net, appeared afterward.

Starting in 2016, Nakumatt faced serious cash-flow problems and could not meet obligations to landlords, suppliers or staff, and an administrator was appointed. In December 2019, the last six Nakumatt branches were sold to Naivas Supermarkets, and the Nakumatt brand disappeared by the end of 2019. Creditors voted to liquidate the company on 7 January 2020.