In a year marked by global uncertainty, six Kenyans stood out on the world stage.
Their work, ranging from grassroots activism to cutting-edge innovation, earned international awards and placed Kenya at the centre of global impact conversations.
Each award recognised solutions that were not only rooted in local realities but also powerful enough to influence global conversations.
Together, these Kenyans demonstrated the country’s growing footprint on the world stage and the impact of ideas grown locally.
Here are the Kenyans whose impact earned global recognition:
Dr. Kennedy Odede
He became the first Kenyan man to receive the prestigious United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize, one of the highest honors bestowed by the global body.
The award, presented once every five years to one woman and one man, recognizes individuals whose work upholds Nelson Mandela's legacy through contributions to social justice, reconciliation, dignity, and community empowerment.
As founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), Dr. Odede has led transformational, community-led development work across Kenya's urban informal settlements. His organization has pioneered innovative approaches to addressing poverty, providing education, healthcare, clean water, and economic opportunities to some of Kenya's most marginalized communities.
Elly Savatia
He won the 2025 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, the largest dedicated engineering prize on the continent, for his revolutionary invention "Terp 360".
The Royal Academy of Engineering awarded Savatia £50,000 in recognition of his AI-powered application that is transforming accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
Terp 360 stood out among numerous innovations for its practical impact and cultural sensitivity.
The application translates speech into sign language using lifelike 3D avatars, addressing the critical shortage of sign language interpreters in Kenya and across Africa.
What made Terp 360 particularly groundbreaking is that it was developed with people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, drawing on a growing dataset of more than 2,300 locally recorded signs to ensure cultural relevance and natural expression.
Alice Wanjiru
At just 11 years old, Alice Wanjiru emerged as a powerful voice for environmental justice in Kenya, earning first place in the International Young Eco-Hero Award organized by Action for Nature.
The Nairobi native serves as the Kenyan Scout Association Climate Change Ambassador at the National Environment Management Authority.
Alice's passion for conservation ignited through her groundbreaking project titled "The Sewer, the Environment and Us- an intricate balance for survival".
The initiative focuses on the rehabilitation of the Ruai Sewer Treatment Plant in Nairobi, directly addressing severe health risks and property damage caused by toxic methane emissions that impact the surrounding community.
Professor Mary Abukutsa Onyango
Professor Mary Abukutsa Onyango from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) was honored as co-laureate of the Africa Food Prize 2025, sharing the US$100,000 prize with Dr. Mercy Diebiru-Ojo of Nigeria.
The announcement was made in Dakar, Senegal, during the 2025 Africa Food Systems Forum on September 3.
As a leading researcher on African indigenous vegetables (AIVs), Professor Abukutsa Onyango has dedicated her career to mainstreaming indigenous crops, offering sustainable solutions to hidden hunger and ensuring Africa's biodiversity is recognized internationally.
Her research has shown that many African indigenous vegetables are nutritional powerhouses, often more nutrient-dense and climate-resilient than imported varieties.
Jepkosgei Chemoiwa
Jepkosgei Chemoiwa, a Mathematics and Physics teacher at Emining Boys High School in Mogotio, Baringo County, was honored with the 2025 African Union Continental Best Teacher Award on September 10.
The recognition, presented by UNESCO's International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa (IICBA), celebrated her outstanding dedication to excellence and innovation in the classroom.
The award, established in 2019, recognizes teachers across Africa who go beyond academics to foster positive values, inspire critical thinking, and drive community transformation. Chemoiwa's selection from among thousands of educators across the continent speaks to her exceptional impact on her students and community.
Jackie Odhiambo
Jackie Odhiambo, founder of Nyanam International, was named among five African leaders as a winner of the 2025 Segal Awards, which celebrate individuals advancing homegrown solutions to the continent's toughest social challenges.
She was recognized under the Fighting for Fairness Award, a category named in honor of the late Barry Segal, founder of the Segal Family Foundation.
Through Nyanam International, Odhiambo works with widows in Kisumu and surrounding areas; women who often face stigma, marginalization, and exclusion in their communities following the loss of their spouses.
Her organization's approach is both practical and empowering: by training widows as community leaders, she is helping to restore dignity and enabling these women to participate meaningfully in decisions that shape their lives.
To be recognised on global stages, the aforementioned men and women demonstrated commitment to uplifting others using innovative approaches that helped solved complex challenges, and created a positive change in the society.
