Bonfire Adventures is looking for a new investor, with co-founder Sarah Kabu saying talks are already under way with potential buyers in Kenya and abroad.
The revelation puts the future ownership of one of Kenya’s best-known travel companies under fresh scrutiny, months after Sarah and her former husband, Simon Kabu, formally ended their marriage.
Speaking during a Radio Jambo interview, Sarah said the company is considering an investor who can take the business into its next phase.
“Saa hii tunatafuta investor mwenye anaweza kununua kampuni and take it to the next level. So sasa tunaongea na watu kutoka nchi tofauti na pia huku Kenya,” she said.
The statement suggests the discussions go beyond simply bringing in fresh capital. Sarah specifically referred to an investor who could buy the company, although the precise stake being offered and the terms of any potential transaction have not been made public.
Sarah says Bonfire is still making billions
Sarah's comments are notable because she did not describe the move as an attempt to rescue a struggling business.
Instead, she said Bonfire remains financially strong.
“It is still doing well; it’s making billions,” she said.
She did not provide audited financial statements or specify whether she was referring to annual revenue, turnover or another financial measure. The claim should therefore not be interpreted as a confirmed profit figure.
Bonfire's own website identifies Sarah Mtalii and Simon Kabu as the company's founders. The business says it began with the organisation of group trips before growing into a broader travel agency.
The company was established in 2008 and became particularly well known for domestic and international travel packages. An earlier profile by The EastAfrican documented how the couple moved from organising trips for friends and colleagues to building Bonfire into a major travel business.
Divorce changed the business landscape
Sarah also acknowledged that the end of her marriage to Simon affected the company.
She said Bonfire lost some customers who had personal ties to either of the two founders.
“Tulipoteza wateja kwa sababu sasa walikuwa wamekosa imani na kampuni,” she said.
Sarah, however, said the company eventually recovered and retained customers who remained neutral during the couple's dispute.
Her comments provide a different picture from the idea that Bonfire is simply being sold because the founders' relationship ended.
Instead, they point to a business that has had to adjust to a major change in its leadership and ownership dynamics while continuing to operate.
Simon confirmed in February 2026 that his divorce from Sarah had been finalised. He said he was now legally single after more than 15 years of marriage and business partnership.
Business disputes have continued
The separation has not been confined to their personal lives.
The former couple have also been involved in legal disputes touching on the running of Bonfire Adventures.
In one case, Sarah and the company sought orders concerning 48 mobile phone lines registered in Simon's name but used in the company's operations.
The dispute involved a demand by Simon for Sh1.86 billion relating to the use of the lines. In June, the High Court declined Sarah's application to stop Simon from using the numbers. The ruling dealt with the phone lines and did not determine the broader ownership of Bonfire.
That dispute illustrates the practical complications that can arise when a business remains jointly connected to former spouses.
Simon has previously spoken publicly about the difficulty of moving from being married partners to functioning as business partners.
“Now that we are no longer husband and wife, it is not about pushing the business for your spouse; it becomes pure business, director to director,” he said in a December 2025 interview.
What happens next for Bonfire?
Sarah's latest revelation does not yet amount to a confirmed sale.
No buyer has been publicly named, and there are no publicly disclosed terms showing how much of Bonfire may be offered, what valuation is being considered or whether Simon and Sarah would retain any ownership after a transaction.
For now, Sarah says discussions with prospective investors are continuing.
That leaves Bonfire at an interesting crossroads.
The company began as a venture built by two people who met through a shared interest in travel and grew it into a recognisable Kenyan tourism brand. Its own history describes the business as having evolved from arranging group trips into a full travel agency.
Now, with the founders no longer married and their business relationship having faced public and legal disputes, Sarah's search for an investor could mark another major turning point.
The question is no longer only how the former couple will continue working together.
It is whether the next chapter of Bonfire Adventures will still be built around its original founders — or around a new owner.
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About the Author
Maureen Onyango is a journalist passionate about storytelling, life coaching and spiritual lessons. She studied at the Kenya Institute of Management and enjoys telling stories that inform, inspire and empower communities.
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