Top 100 Kenyans 2019

Teacher Tabichi

Peter Mokaya Tabichi is a Kenyan science teacher at the Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School in Pwani Village situated in a remote, semi-arid part of Kenya’s Rift Valley.

He is the winner of the 2019 Global Teacher Prize becoming the first teacher from Africa to win the Ksh100 million World Teacher of the Year award during its fifth anniversary.

Michael Olunga

Michael Olunga is a Kenyan professional footballer who plays for Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol and the Kenya national team as a forward.

Olunga on November 23 scored 7 goals as Kashiwa Reysol beat Kyoto Sanga 13-1 in the final game of the season to conclude the league as top scorer runner up with 27 goals.

He was part of the Kenyan National team that took part in the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) that was held in Cairo, Egypt.

Mercy Masika

Mercy Masika is a Kenya gospel artist, songwriter, and composer.

In June 2019 Masika was appointed as UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency's national Goodwill Ambassador for Kenya.

Prior to her appointment, Masika served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) high profile supporter championing the agency’s LuQuLuQu campaign to change the narrative of the African refugee by shedding light on the incredible resilience refugees demonstrate

Njugush

Timothy Kimani is a comedian who has largely been the face of the video content creation that is both fun to watch and commercial. 

Being one of the pioneer Youtubers in Kenya, he has inspired a host of vloggers who have carved a niche that has upset traditional TV viewership. 

In July 2019, he was feted with the Humour Recognition Award: Online Creator, for his exploits on the digital space.

His has been innovative enough to ensure his content matches the form, feel and function and media where it appears.

Khelef Khalifa

Khelef Khalifa is a non-partisan and a bold defender of human rights and the marginalised. He is also a Director at Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), a non-governmental organisation based in Mombasa.

In 2019, Khalifa fought against the government's decision to renovate the Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mombasa. 

Khalifa is a veteran human rights campaigner who has fiercely fought injustice for over a decade. 

Maina Kageni

Maina Kageni is a radio presenter at Radio Africa's Classic 105's popular morning show, Maina & King'ang'i alongside Daniel 'Churchill' Ndambuki.

His show is among the most listened to morning radio talk shows in the country that tackles social issues in a lighthearted format.

Kageni scooped the Radio Show Award 2017 for the best talk show in the country at the SOMA Awards 2017.

Julius Yego

Julius Yego is a Kenyan track and field athlete who competes in the javelin throw.

In October 2019, he captained the Kenyan national team that finished second at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar with a total of 11 medals.

Yego was the first Kenyan to win a World Championships gold medal in a field event when he clinched gold in the 2015 World Championships in the Javelin throw. He holds the African and Commonwealth records for the event with a personal best of 92.72 m.

In 2016, Yego bagged a silver medal in the Rio Olympics. 

Mama Ida Odinga

Mama Ida Odinga is a Kenyan businesswoman, activist and educator. She is the wife of Raila Odinga, the former Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga. 

She has also championed a host of other causes, many focused on women, children and health in Kenya. Odinga has advocated for the prevention of breast cancer and fistulas, and eradication of the chigoe flea. She has also mentored Kenyan schoolgirls and sat on the board of directors for an organization which aids paraplegics.

John Kamau

John Kamau is a Kenyan Journalist, Historian and Biographer author currently with the Daily Nation.

In 2019, Kamau was recognised for his stories; Fertiliser politics: How Kenya’s bid for a factory was sabotaged, and Magadi saga exposes the ugly side of capitalism, published on the Sunday Nation at the Annual Journalism Excellence Awards.

He authored the Biography; Mwai Kibaki in Parliament and co-authored Mwai Kibaki: 50 Years of National Service.

John Kamau was feted Journalist of the Year 2015.