Draft:Douglas Kuria

Cris Douglas Kuria Njiru (commonly Douglas Kuria, born 15 July 1993), is a Kenyan business executive. Since 2017, Douglas has been serving as the managing director at Neo Kenya Mpya, a Kenyan transport company mainly owned by his family including his father, Patrick Njiru. In addition, since 2021, he is the CEO at New Paleah, which trades construction materials.

Early life
Douglas was born on 15 July 1993, to Patrick Njiru and Leah Njeri Njiru, raised in Embu, Kenya. Douglas is a nephew to Purity Wangui Ngirici, and a grandson to late Douglas Kuria, a businessman who was among pioneers of matatu businesses in Kirinyaga county, Kenya. Douglas completed his primary and high school education in Kenya. In 2011, he enrolled in Strathmore University, Kenya where he attended the Faculty of Commerce and graduated with bachelor's degree in accounting & entrepreneurship in 2015. Subsequently, he attended Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales to pursue a master's studies in Business Administration (MBA), he graduated in 2016.

Business career
In 2016, after completing MBA studies at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Douglas was appointed managing director at Neo Kenya Mpya, a Kenyan bus transport company. In 2021, the company was managing 170 buses and 46,000 commuters daily plying Nairobi, Machakos and Kiambu counties. According to Bizna Kenya, Neo Kenya Mpya is mainly owned by his family including Patrick Njiru(father), Leah Njeri Njiru(mother), Everlyn Wangui Njiru(sister) and Douglas Kuria Njiru (himself). In 2024, his father, Patrick Njiru was listed among wealthiest people from Embu County, Kenya by Tuko.co.ke. In his tenure, since 2021, Douglas has led the company to adoption of BYD's META Electric vehicles to support greener transportation in Kenya, one of Africa's most polluted countries. Since 2021, Douglas serves as CEO at New Paleah ltd, a Kenyan wholesaling company known for construction materials mainly in Kenya with indispensable network in East Africa.