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Centum Investment Company Limited, commonly known as Centrum, is a private, publicly-traded investment company in Kenya. It operates as an affiliate of the government-owned Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC)

History

Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation was founded in 1967, as a government parastatal, whose primary objective was to provide a vehicle for Kenyans to invest in the economy of newly-independent Kenya, by investing in Kenyan companies. ICDC formed a subsidiary called ICDC Investment Company Limited, whose shares were listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), in 1967.

In 1998, with the Government of Kenya, having sold some of its majority shareholding, ICDC Investment Company adopted a new management structure, handing over day-to-day management to an independent professional managerial team, supervised by an independent Board of Directors, elected by the shareholders. In 2007, the shareholders opted to change the name of the company to Centum Investment Company Limited.

The shares of the company are publicly traded on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (since 1967), and on the Uganda Securities Exchange (effective February 2011).

Overview

Centum is a private company based in Kenya, whose shares are listed on the stock exchanges in Kenya and Uganda, where they are publicly traded under the symbol: ICDC. The company is a medium-sized investment company with total assets under management totaling about US$144 million (KES:12 billion), as of September 2010. Centum has two known subsidiaries: (a) Rasimu Limited, a subsidiary that specializes in investments and (a) Kenya National Properties Limited, a real estate development and management company. Centum's investments are organised in three (3) divisions:

Quoted Private Equity

This is the division that invests in publicly traded companies in various stock exchanges on the African continent.

Private Equity

This division acquires equity positions in non-publicly-traded companies, mainly in East Africa, but increasingly in other African countries.

Real Estate and Infrastructure

This division is involved in real estate development in Kenya and Uganda, with an eye to expanding into other East African countries.

Ownership

As of March 2010, the company stock was owned by the following corporate entities and individuals:

• Companies of Kenya
• Companies established in 1967
• Companies listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange
• Companies listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange
• Companies based in Nairobi
• Nairobi