Other Kenyans who have defied odds to bag key awards

By winning the Sh100 million Global Teacher Prize, Peter Tabichi, a teacher at Keriko High School in Nakuru County, walks in the footsteps of other Kenyans who triumphed on the global stage.

The story of the humble teacher from the little-known school in the Rift Valley, mirrors that of other Kenyans whose exploits locally had virtually gone unnoticed before their success was recognised abroad.

The late Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the Founder of the Green Belt Movement, is the best example of ‘a prophet' who was not recognised in her home town.

She was honoured for her work to protect the environment and to promote peace, democracy and women’s rights.  

On October 8, 2004 Prof Maathai was awarded 10 million Swedish Kronas (Sh104.6 million at current exchange rate) for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway.

“As the first African woman to receive this prize, I accept it on behalf of the people of Kenya and Africa, and indeed the world,” said the former MP during the awards ceremony.

Maathai is not the only Kenyan who has bagged prestigious awards and big money in the global scene.

Shining Hope

Last year, Shining Hope For Communities, a charity which provides clean water and sanitation to Kibra residents, was awarded $2 Million (Sh200 million) after clinching the Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian Prize.

The charity-which bagged the biggest global award given to humanitarian causes-was founded by Kennedy Odede, a resident of the slum in 2004.

Wawira Njiru is yet another Kenyan who has received a global recognition. The Founder and Director of Food 4 Education was awarded the 2018 Global Citizen Prize for Youth Leadership Global Citizen Festival in South Africa.  

She was first-ever recipient of the prize, an award supported by American multinational technology company Cisco in partnership with Global Citizen an organisation focused on mobilising 100 million socially-minded advocates to end extreme global poverty by 2030. Ms Njiru received Sh25 million prize money.