Peter Njonjo Is Taking A Break From Leading Twiga Amid Ongoing Revamp

Peter Njonjo, the CEO of Twiga Foods, an e-commerce and food distribution company, is taking a break from leading the company, WT has learned. Njonjo is taking a six-month sabbatical, stepping away from his day-to-day role due to personal reasons following a hectic period, according to a statement issued by the company.

Njonjo, a co-founder of the marketplace for fresh produce and fast-moving consumer goods who took charge of Twiga after two decades at soft drinks multinational Coca-Cola, expressed pride in Twiga’s achievements, highlighting its impact on job creation, reduction of agricultural waste, and lowering food costs in Africa.

He stated, “I have decided to take a break after an intense 2023 from my day-to-day role as CEO to focus on personal matters.” Njonjo took over as Twiga CEO from co-founder Grant Brooke at the start of 2020, as the latter was transitioned initially to focus on growing the company’s footprint in the rest of sub-Saharan Africa but ultimately left Twiga. Brooke currently leads a new startup Shara, a company he started after leaving Twiga, which builds financial tools for Kenyan SMEs.

During Njonjo’s sabbatical, Twiga’s operations will be overseen by Chief Operating Officer Laurent Gouault and Chief Financial Officer Zuber Momoniat, while Njonjo will continue serving on the board of directors, though it’s unclear whether he will retake the CEO role upon the conclusion of his break.

Hein Pretorius, the company’s chairman, expressed support for Njonjo’s decision and confidence in Twiga’s senior leadership team. Pretorius emphasized the board’s gratitude for Njonjo’s commitment, particularly in securing recent funding for the company.

Twiga, founded in 2013 by Njonjo and Brooke, secured undisclosed funding in late November from existing investors despite facing a debt collection lawsuit from cloud services vendor Incentro Africa worth over USD 200 K.

The lawsuit, a continuation of prior disputes between Twiga and Incentro, involved a petition from Incentro to liquidate Twiga, which Njonjo contested, obtaining temporary orders to block the liquidation. Twiga denounced the lawsuit as having “ulterior motives,” claiming it was retaliatory after Twiga reached out to Google Ireland regarding the billing for cloud services. However, Twiga confirmed ongoing discussions with Incentro to settle the debt.

In the wake of the recent funding, Njonjo addressed the restructuring and refinancing efforts in a Medium post, indicating the company’s intent to settle outstanding dues to suppliers.

Twiga, which sources farm produce directly from farmers for delivery to urban retailers, underwent staff reductions earlier in the year, aiming to streamline operations and cut costs by up to 40 percent. This move, the company stated, was part of its strategy to become a leaner and more efficient organization without compromising its technological investments.