Meet Danson Muchemi: The Man Behind JamboPay

Danson Muchemi is a Kenyan entrepreneur whose remarkable journey from a small cyber café to building a successful technology business has made him one of the notable figures in Kenya’s digital payments industry.

Muchemi is the founder and CEO of JamboPay, an online payment platform established in 2009 under Web Tribe Ltd. What started with less than Ksh100,000 in startup capital has grown into a business employing more than 100 people, with operations extending to Senegal and Tanzania.

Born in 1984 and raised in Nyandarua County, Muchemi attended Gikeno Primary School and Nguviu Boys High School. He later pursued a diploma in Management Information Systems at Strathmore University before joining Kenyatta University, where he studied Telecommunications and Information Technology.

His entrepreneurial spirit emerged at an early age. While in primary school, he bred and sold rabbits. At university, he made money by digitising lecturers’ notes for students who missed classes. He also operated a movie library business to support himself financially.

The idea behind JamboPay emerged when Muchemi wanted to establish an online shopping business but struggled to find a reliable payment gateway. Together with friends, he established the company, initially operating from a cyber café where they hired computers at Ksh4,500 monthly.

The breakthrough came when a local bank agreed to partner with the company. In 2014, JamboPay secured a major contract with Nairobi County to automate payments for parking, permits, land rates and rent. It also secured an NHIF contract.

By 2015, the company reportedly had 1,500 institutional clients and processed more than $50 million annually. It later received recognition through the Google Innovation Awards in Financial Services for 2013–2014.

However, Muchemi’s journey has not been without controversy. In 2018, he and business partner Robert Muriithi were charged alongside others over an alleged Ksh500 million loss at NHIF. The allegations were contested in court.

In February 2020, Muchemi also accused former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko of threatening his life, claims Sonko denied.

Despite the challenges, his story remains an example of how a modest idea, determination and innovation can grow into a major business enterprise.

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