Naivas poaches back Willy Kimani from Uchumi

Uchumi Supermarket’s management team has been dealt a blow following the resignation of Chief Operating Officer Willy Kimani.

Mr Kimani has been poached back to Naivas Supermarkets, where he had previously served for five years between 2010 and 2015.

He joins the retailer as the Chief Commercial Officer to implement the commercial strategy to grow revenues.

“I am up for the challenge of positioning Naivas as one of the country’s top supermarkets and cannot wait to get started,” Mr Kimani said of his appointment.

His exit leaves a leadership vacuum at Uchumi, which had hoped to turnaround its fortunes on the back of his industry expertise. Prior to Joining Naivas, he had also worked at Tuskys as the head of marketing.

In a statement, Uchumi said the COO position remains vacant.

“The now vacant COO position will be subjected to the recruitment process which will help the retailer identify the most suitable talent for the position,” Uchumi said in an emailed response.

Kenya’s formal retail market has become highly competitive with retailers out to gain market share. The landscape is dominated by Nakumatt, Tuskys, Naivas and Uchumi.

The industry has however seen interest from international chains with South Africa’s The Game and French retailer Carrefour opening stores in the country.

Naivas has also appointed Victor Omondi as Category Manger and Joseph Kago as Marketing Manager to strengthen its management team.