Kenya is a country that is known for a lot of things among them scenic views, vast wildlife, white sandy beaches and pleasant, warm, tropical climate.
Additionally, Kenyan athletes have constantly represented the country well in races abroad, making Kenya synonymous to good sportsmanship, discipline, hard work and resilience.
For instance, two times world marathon record holder, Eluid Kipchoge has put Kenya on the map after being hailed as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) after winning the INEOS marathon in 2019.
Further, the current marathon world record holder, Kelvin Kiptum set the London Marathon course record in October 2023 after breaking the 42km world record in a jaw-dropping race in Chicago.
This feat allowed Kenya to monopolize the prestigious title, further outing the country on the good side of history.
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However, there are other less popular Kenyans who are doing the country proud and getting recognized abroad. Here are a couple of these high-flying Kenyans.
Marian Sharifa
Kenyan Marian Sharifa was among the winners at the finals of the 2023 Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities (GITC 2023) which was hosted in Abu Dhabi, UAE, by LG Electronics.
Notably, Marian was the co-winner of the esteemed Super Challenger award, together with Ethiopian Elias Bobe.
The five-day tech challenge sought to strengthen the IT capabilities of youth with disabilities and bridge the digital divide.
Cimberly Wanyonyi
Cimberly Wanyonyi, a 18-year-old Kenyan with Finnish roots clinched victory in the 19th series of the Swedish Idol. The award culminated the end of the 19th season of the competition.
Cimberly’s inspiring rise to victory was marked by her performance of the newly released track, ‘Won’t Be Sorry,’ which she performed wowing crowds. Impressively, she triumphed over 100 other contestants in the competition.
Sebastian Mwaura
Sebastian Mwaura was among the two people to be feted at the UN Global Climate Action Awards during the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai.
The Kenyan was selected from hundreds of applicants from 120 countries for his impressive efforts to make their communities more sustainable, resilient and equitable places to live.
Notably, Mwaura is the co-founder of Yna Kenya, a company that is dedicated towards the acceleration of the adoption of electric vehicles.
Further, he also started the HerGo program which includes women into the e-mobility transport sector. The program is aimed at creating 12,000 jobs for women as drivers and charging station owners.
Wanjira Maathai
The daughter of the late Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof. Wangari Maathai, Wanjira Mathai, was the only Kenyan on the 2023 list of Time Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People,’ in April 2023.
She was honored for her work in restoring land, communities, and livelihoods.
Of note, she took over the Green Belt Movement form her late mother and has led it successfully.
Further, Wanjira has pioneered investment in women entrepreneurs in renewable energy, and is driving a movement to restore 100 million hectares of land in Africa.
