Sir George Owino, who has since passed away, is credited with popularizing chewing gum throughout Kenya and the rest of East Africa. Going up against the likes of Juicy fruit, spearmint, and PK, later rebranded as Orbit.
Sir George’s hard work and dedication to his efforts bore fruit when he established a Wrigley factory in Nairobi to serve the expanding East African market.
The Big G was the first gum ever made in such a massive size, and its popularity led the parent firm to open a facility in East Africa to meet the demand there.
His innovation, chewing gum, became a hit with consumers, and he quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming chair of Wrigley EA before stepping down in 1998 to focus on his own company, Orbit Distributors, which he had founded in 1977 to handle exclusive distribution of Wrigley products in the East African Market.
Sir George was born in 1941 to Patrict Owidh and Maria Obiero, and he went to school in Siaya County, first at Sega Primary School and then at Shimo La Tewa Intermediate School.
He passed away in July of 2004. The events of his life mirror those of Sir Henry’s very closely.
