James Smart is the Managing Editor, Newsroom Production and Podcast Editor at the Nation Media Group (NMG).
Besides these positions, Smart is also a senior NTV news anchor and hosts With All Due Respect, one of the top political talk shows in the country renowned for cutting-edge conversations with newsmakers.
Kennedy Odhiambo, widely known as Crazy Kennar, is arguably the best digital comedy content creator in Kenya.
His influence extends to every corner of the country, resonating with audiences of all ages, including children, attesting to his unparalleled prowess in the craft.
Crazy Kennar had another electrifying year jampacked with comedy awards both locally and internationally.
Brian is a nurse at the Garissa Referral Hospital.
He is a medical practitioner who values humanity. He has cultivated a name for himself for always going the extra mile to help patients including thinking of innovative ways to help those who live in far-flung areas.
Ole Karbolo is also a specialist in wound care which means he has been able to give specialised medical care to patients in need of urgent attention.
Brian studied at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Garissa County before eventually getting employed as a nurse.
Born in 2004, Emmanuel Wanyonyi is one of the fastest-rising athletes in the country.
Wanyonyi who specializes in 800 metre races introduced himself to the world in 2021 after he won a gold medal in World Under-20 Championships, setting a championship record in the process.
In 2022, he faltered finishing fourth at the World Athletics Championships.
Elijah Kanyi is a camera operator and a journalist working with Africa Uncensored.
The seasoned journalist, this year continued to be recognised for his stellar work including being named the Camera Person and Journalist of the Year at the 2023 Annual Journalism Excellence Awards(AJEA).
He was recognised alongside John Allan Namu and Clint Obere for the best investigative story in the digital category for the investigative piece Justice be Our Shield.
Described in the world of athletics as the greatest marathoner of all time, Kipchoge has won in all race categories he has participated in.
When he won the Berlin Marathon on September 24, Kipchoge set history by becoming the first athlete to win the marathon five times.
He had previously won the 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022 editions.
Robert Mokaya is a Professor of Materials Chemistry at the University of Nottingham who distinguishes himself with a focus on porous materials discovery.
He achieved a historic milestone in May when he became the UK's sole black professor of chemistry to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Mokaya was further honored in 2022 with the Order of the British Empire for his significant contributions to Chemical Sciences.
Nixon Sifuna is a judge of the High Court of Kenya.
He has presided over high-profile cases while issuing landmark rulings and orders.
Prior to his appointment as a judge, he was a lawyer and a fierce advocate of human rights.
Sifuna received the inaugural Development Bank Accountability Award for the year 2022 for his contributions to fighting for justice.
There is a common joke within Kenyan social circles that national treasures don’t have to be monuments and artifacts; human beings can fall into the same bracket as well.
Stephen Okoth Ochieng alias Ondivow, a photographer and art director, managed to draw national attention with his creative pieces documenting the anti-government protests that rocked the country earlier in the year.
Tom Odula is an investigative reporter working with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
He is behind some of the leading investigative pieces such as Sex for Work: The True Cost of Our Tea which exposed the protracted sexual harassment of female staff working in Kericho tea farms.
The investigative piece led to the arrests of some senior managers working at the tea farms. The expose also sparked national outrage prompting the government to act.