Ronald Karauri

Ronald Karauri is the Chief Executive Officer of SportPesa. Appointed in 2015, he has been one of the founding investors and involved in SportPesa from the very beginning.

Ronald has led the business through a period of impressive growth, to become one of the leading gaming brands in the region. Under his leadership, the SportPesa brand has invested in its technology, evolving from its innovative SMS-based platform to incorporate a market leading app, live scores and blogs and, most recently, live casino games.

Remaining true to the Sportpesa principles

While the brand has grown, it has remained true to its founding principles of giving back to its players and communities.

Through the weekly SportPesa Jackpots and Mega Jackpots, the brand continues to change the lives of its winners. In its first ten years, the Jackpot has paid out millions to many winners.

As Chief Executive of SportPesa, Ronald Karauri has overseen a comprehensive local, national, and international programme of sport and community investment.

Tujiamini – supporting local initiatives

Ronald Karauri has always believed in tujiamini. Tujiamini is a Swahili term that means “believe in ourselves” and it has been his guiding principle as CEO of SportPesa.

A sports initiative with the same name was launched in 2024 to support Kenyan athletes, clubs, and other sports-related organisations reach their potential.

Over the last decade, SportPesa has supported local athletes to become world WBC Bantamweight Champion, to win the SportPesa Super Cup, and Kenyan Premier League and most recently, helped the Kenyan 7s team return to the World Series.

The brand helped renovate the National Stadium in Tanzania and brought the world’s biggest football clubs and tournaments to Sub-Saharan Africa to drive economic growth. It has launched maternal healthcare initiatives, built accommodation for doctors and provided Kits for Africa!

Under Ronald’s leadership, the company is now entering a new phase of regional growth and expansion, with greater investment in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.

Ronald Karauri – Captain, MP

Known as “The Captain”, Ronald was a pilot for Kenyan Airlines for 11 years before joining SportPesa. Before working for the national carrier, he studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nairobi.

In 2022, Ronald won the election as an independent candidate to become the Member of Parliament for Kasarani.

Since becoming an elected Member of Parliament, Ronald has personally funded the building of classrooms and sponsored 5 grassroots football teams in his constituency.

In his spare time, Ronald is a keen basketballer. He is a car enthusiast, with his favourite model being the Range Rover.

Ronald lives in Nairobi with his wife Ruth and their three children.