The list of the 100 most influential Africans for the year 2017 was published by The New African Magazine. Ten Kenyans are among the numerous people who compiled the list, including Chief Justice David Maraga.
The magazine, which began operations five years ago, announced the list of the 100 most influential Africans on Wednesday 6 December 2017.
This year’s list includes individuals from all sectors such as business, politics, music, sports and other industries whose work has helped transform lives beyond their primary purpose. The effects of this transformation, explained the magazine’s editor, are seen in the form of changing perceptions or providing inspiration to others.
While nineteen figures from the English-speaking part of Africa made the list, 12 from the French-speaking part found their way there and unlike other years when there were usually large gender gaps, in 2017 there were 42 women and 58 men on the list.
Magara has done something that has never been done before in Africa, by boldly passing a verdict in favor of an opposition against the man who appointed him, President Uhuru Kenyatta. Through this unique action, he restored Kenyans’ confidence in the independence of the judiciary.
After the King of Morocco Mohammed VI. He was the sixth highest representative in the politics and public service category.
Judge Maraga was formally appointed to office on October 19, 2016 and will retire on January 12, 2021 after reaching the age of 70, as clearly stated in the country’s constitution.
Also in the Politics and Public Service category, the first woman from the Northeast was elected to Parliament. Sophia Abdi Noor , who is listed at the eighth position. She took over the Ijara constituency seat in 2007 as part of the Orange Democratic Movement. This came after she polled 6,001 votes and narrowly defeated her closest opponent, incumbent Ahmed Ibrahim Abass, by almost 300 votes.
Prior to Ms. Noor’s victory, no woman from the North East had been elected to a political position since Kenya’s independence, simply because communities in the region held conservative views on women’s leadership because of their religious and cultural beliefs.
As well as being a force to be reckoned with in the political arena, the former teacher is a founding member of Women in Kenya , a non-governmental organization that caters specifically to women and children.
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Prof. Ruth Oniang’o, a nutritionist, also made her way to the list of 100 Most Influential Africans through her commendable efforts to advance the transformation of African agriculture. She is the winner of the Africa Food Prize 2017.
Prof. Oniang’o is considered Africa’s leading voice on nutrition and works tirelessly to ensure the availability and affordability of a variety of nutritious plants for all Africans.
For her pioneering efforts improving the social and economic well-being of millions of people in Africa, Oniango is rightfully on the list!
Tenth in the Economy and Finance category is Kenya James Mworia, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Centum Investments. His rise to corporate Kenya was a function of humility and a hunger for personal development.
James began working at Centum as a clerk in 2001 despite being overqualified. Gradually he moved from one position to the next until he was appointed Chief Investment Officer of the company in 2005. By December 2006, he quit because he saw Centum as “very conservative” and took another job at TransCentury Investments as Head of Investments.
In 2008, at the age of 30, Centum management called James Mworia back and appointed him CEO and MD of the company. In his first six years as CEO, he grew the company’s asset base from KES 6 billion (US$69 million) to around KES 30 billion (US$350 million). According to the latest report, he is currently the highest paid CEO in Kenya with annual compensation of Sh201.1m or Sh16.7m per month.
Runner-up in the Civil Society and Activism category was Patrick ‘PLO’ Lumumba , haben Girma, a deafblind Harvard graduate and disability rights activist based in Eritrea, Ethiopia and the United States.
Known for his excellent oratory skills, Lumumba is a defender and an anti-corruption champion. Professor Lumumba is one of Kenya’s finest legal minds and former Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission in Kenya. He was in the position for less than a year before being fired in controversial circumstances. During his short tenure, he fearlessly tried to root out corruption, but faced too many wild forces that he could not overcome. For this he will always be remembered.
Lumumba is also a very staunch and dedicated Pan-Africanist, and is popular in many countries for his eloquent delivery of numerous powerful speeches that indirectly draw attention to or address African solutions to African problems.
He is currently the Director of the Kenya School of Laws since 2014.
Ninth in the Science, Technology and Innovation category is Yvonne Mburu, the co-founder of Med in Africa, an online platform that brings together African scientists and healthcare professionals around the world. The platform facilitates collaboration between African scientists and health professionals at home and in the diaspora. Their primary goal is to ensure that there is a unified voice for advancing healthcare, science and education in Africa, regardless of the location of these African professionals.
Others on the 2017 list of Kenya’s 100 Most Influential Africans include TV presenters Julie Gichuru in the media category Elijah Manangoi, Hellen Obiri and Faith Kipyegon in the sports category.
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Anywhere in Africa
Nigeria has the highest number of people on the list, closely followed by South Africa.
Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote (Nigeria), businessman Mohammed Dewji (Tanzania) was again named in the Economy and Finance category, as were newcomers Isabel dos Santos and Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais from Angola.
Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and President Alpha Conde of Guinea are the only three heads of state to make the list.
Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was in the Politics and Public Service category.