African Warrior Magazine listed a 32 number of most inspiring Kenyans in diaspora yesterday.
Lupita Nyong’o actress from Star Wars, Victor Wanyama Totenham player were among the top listed Kenyans.
Here is the full list
1.Levin Opiyo
He is a well established Historian and Journalist on the Sunday Nation.
He has studied Nuclear Energy at Nottingham Trent University, studied Journalism at London Journalism School
2.Sophie Ikenye
She hosts BBC Focus on Africa, after leaving NTV as an anchor. Her partnership with the late Komla Dumor is one that will never be replaced.
3.Victor Wanyama
He is a midfield powerhouse for Totenham FC on the English premier league side. He has scored goals and he is still flying high.
With a salary of 32 million he is the highest paid Kenyan at home and in diaspora.
4.Janet Wainaina
The PR consultant and marketer who runs the UKENTV and the president of Face of Kenya that operates in the UK, USA and Germany helps corporate companies that need to access Kenyan diaspora. She also runs a program on Sky 182 called Diaspora Speaks.
5.Elizabeth Kang’ethe
She studied at East London University and later worked at Labour party.
First Briton of Kenya extraction to be elected as a councilor, for the Parsloes Ward. In 2014, she was elected as the mayor.
6. Vanessa King’ori.
She is the first female Publisher of British GQ and the first black Publisher at Condé Nast UK.
“I was initially tasked with turning one of the company’s smaller businesses to a larger more profitable brand. I worked hard to achieve that and sustain the success. I’m extremely proud of the fast growth we achieved. That success led me here.”
7.Lucy Gichuhi
She won the hearts of many Kenyans when she entered the chambers of Australian house.
The lawyer won a special recount as independent that edged Bob Day for the South Australian senatorial seat.
She studied at Lwak girls, went to University of Nairobi and later to Southern University of Australia.
8.Ninny Zera
Based in Australia, she is a business woman and a musician to en-devour.
9.Terry ‘Chocolate’ Atieno
The beautiful digital media personality is one of the most visible Kenyans in Deutschland. Her visual radio is quite popular.
10.STL aka Stella Mwangi
She has a stella performance from all and sundry Kenyans. Now she is in Norway.
Notably in 2011, she delivered a stunning performance at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011 in Dusseldorf Germany, getting eliminated at the Semi Final. Despite living much of her life in Norway, she has not forgotten her roots, as she often raps in Agikuyu.
11.Nyakio Gioche
If there beauty products in the market taking the world by storm, then Nyakio Gioche is the brains behind such products.
12.Washington Osiro
He writes for Huffington Post, besides he has written several books. He primarily started his educational career from Kenyan soil
13.Mukurima Muriuki
A peace loving lad who is in USA, has been working behind the clock to see a Kenya free violence nation. He has collaborated with top lads in Kenya for long and exspecially during the much tensed 2017 August elections.
14.Victoria Kimani
Nigerian based musician Kimani has been a Kenyan and Nigerian Idol in equal measures.
She has composed songs which could be listened by two culturally divided nations
15. Calestous Juma
By the time the story was being written, news of his demise shocked the writers.
Juma was the only Kenyan to have ever been listed in the Most Reputable people on earth alongside people like evangelist Billy Graham, Mark Zuckerberg and footballer Ronaldo. He has featured on the list thrice.
The Harvard Kennedy School Professor directed the Science, Technology and Globalization project.
16.Simon Gikandi
He is a well published novelist, besides he is a critic writer whose piece have gone wide and far with virality.
17.Ali Badawy
The NASA North American spokesperson has endeared himself to the NASA supporters from his critical stance towards the Jubilee government.
18.Alex Karundu
One of the well known motivational speaker in Dallas, he has got also a big firm in logistics, both based in Kenya and USA.
19.Lupita Nyong’o
She is a USA based actress, she has bagged big awards, and premiered in big movie names such as Star Wars
20.Peter Kerre
He is a well known film maker in USA who has worked with big names such as Wyre in Kenya and Alicia Keys from USA.
21.Benjamin Onyango.
Brought up in Nairobi slum called Ofafa Jericho. Went to USA and got featured in big stage name movies such as X-Files and God’s not dead.
22.David Monda
The political science professor at the City of New York’s Guttman College is a regular political commentator in the media. A sober mind, he by far very moderated even when his political views can be interpreted differently.
23.Lily Richards
She runs the Kenyan Women in the United States (KWITU) , a network platform that has been credited in uniting Kenyan women in the United States and Canada. The organization also bridges the gap between the Kenyan woman in the US and in the village. Her inspiring story, was covered in the African Warrior Magazine, August issue.
She is also an award winner, DEAR Awards 2016 Best Community Organizer and the Jamhuri Award 2016 presented by the Ambassador Robinson Githae, for dedicated service to the community through KWITU
24.Longombas
They ruled the Kenyan airwaves in the 2000s with hits such as Makofi and Vuta Pumzi. They tried to stage a comeback in the mid-2000s, but never quite recaptured the glory of the previous years. And then they disappeared. And relocated to California. The descendants of the Congolese music legend, Vicky Longomba, and nephews of Awilo Longomba have since lived in the States.
25.Ngugi wa Nyiong’o
Ngugi wa Thiong’o is distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature at University of California-Irvine. Early this year, he was awarded an honorary degree by Yale University for his distinct achievement in the literary field.
26.Christine Wawira
She is also another well mannered Kenyan based in USA, she earns her living from Hollywood as an actress.
27. J. Karoki.
An Aerospace executive, Karoki is known by many as the “classy gentleman,” perhaps because of his stylish and elegant dressing.
28.Njeri Kezia.
She is a businenss woman who looks at the affiars of Africans living in diapora.
“We wanted something different from the usual “ka-plot” or apartment that’s the norm with African diaspora investors. Out of every 10 people we talked to, at least 6 said that in a perfect world they’d want to retire back in Africa hence a vehicle to allow them to create that cushion was born. We wanted those who decide to relocate back home organically or are forced by circumstances to be fiscally independent when the day came.”
29.Makau Mutua
Professor Makau Mutua is a distinguished law scholar and former dean, University of Buffalo school of law.
He has been a strong opposer of the ill deeds from the Kenyan government
30.Fatima Alimohamed
Many will recall the Chipsy cooking ol advert in the late 90’s that featured a “muslim woman” saying “hio sio muhimu, nasokota mviringo mviringo….” Well, meet Fatima Alimohamed who is now based in Ghana where she has made a name for herself as the Afican Brand Warrior.
31.Mohamed Wehliye
Some said that he deserved a cabinet position in President Kenyatta’s 2013 cabinet. He is one of the most renowned economists, with one of the most colorful resumes. For about a decade leading to to 2014, he was the Vice President, Risk Management, Riyad Bank, Saudi Arabia. A senior vice president, financial risk management, Riyadh Bank, KSA, about the Eurobond issue and related economic affairs.
32.John Njoroge Mungai
Mungai is Financial Controller of Bayer, Japan. Bayer is the German Pharmaceutical behemoth. It is not everyday a Kenyan rises to head such a huge portfolio in a far way global power like Japan. But this ex-Mangu lad just does that.
Story Courtesy of African Warrior Magazine
