Former KFC East Africa Group Managing Director Derrick Van Houten is set to be appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Java House, one of the region’s biggest restaurant chains.
From July 2015 to 2020, Houten was the main man at Kuku East Africa Holdings, the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchisee for Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
He is expected to replace Paul Smith at Java effective March 1.
Founded in Nairobi in 1999 by Kevin Ashley and Jon Wagner, Java was acquired in 2017 by Private Equity (PE) firm Abraaj.
While Java already has over 70 outlets in the region, the firm is planning an aggressive expansion that will see the coffee house spread its wings beyond East Africa. It owns other brands including 360 Degrees Pizza and Planet Yoghurt. Houten is expected to oversee a plan to grow the number of outlets across the continent.
![The signing ceremony took place in Kisumu, with Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o representing the county government and UN-Habitat Executive Director in Kenya, Anaclaudia Rossbach, signing on behalf of the UN agency. Under the agreement, both parties commit to jointly implementing the housing upgrade project, which Governor Nyong’o said will primarily target vulnerable groups. “The PINUA programme [is] designed to benefit the most vulnerable members of the community,” Nyong’o said, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to fostering sustainable neighborhoods equipped with essential services. Beginning November 1, 2025, the county government, working with UN-Habitat, will launch pilot projects in Kibuye Estate and Muhoroni Sub-County, based on designs and models developed through extensive public participation. The programme will focus on upgrading informal settlements by providing essential social infrastructure such as schools, sanitation facilities, affordable rental housing, early childhood development centres, and public open spaces. It also supports incremental housing models, allowing families to progressively build and eventually own decent homes. Rossbach emphasized UN-Habitat’s global commitment to driving transformative change in urban areas: “This partnership is crucial in advancing our new strategy, which focuses on improving housing access and digitally transforming informal settlements for everyone.” According to UN-Habitat housing architect Fred Omenya, the pilot phase will begin in January 2026 with the construction of two blocks of 24 housing units in Kibuye Estate.](https://businessinsights.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/About-us-still-25957706200_7ca2db7e5e_k-218x150.jpg "Kisumu, UN-Habitat sign Ksh2.7bn deal for social housing upgrade")
