In the 11-year history of the two most recent presidencies, this year has emerged as the most consequential with multiple historic feats achieved mostly by new entrants. In a first for Kenya’s 61 years as a republic, the presidency declined to assent to a Finance Bill in June 2024 throwing future finance plans for the government into disarray.
The administration had been left with no choice after protests, which also led to the dismissal of the entire Cabinet of 23 secretaries, another first. The months-long protests subsequently shook the political landscapes that culminated in the impeachment, another first, of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In all the successes achieved in the 12 months to the release of this list, a number of Kenyans, 100 to be exact, trailblazed in different sectors cutting across climate change, activism, record-breaking athletes as well as next-door hard workers who pushed the needle forward and transformed the everyday service sectors like philanthropy, nursing and academics.
Since the inaugural ranking of the Top 100 Kenyans list in 2017, Kenyans.co.ke has endeavored to honour the community of leaders who inspire change yearly. For instance, Nelson Amenya is hailed as a hero nationwide after whistleblowing secret files between the Government and Adani Holdings to transfer the management of the national airport. His exposé, with the help of nationwide activism, led to the collapse of the deal.
Activist Hussein Khalid, on the other hand, stood with Kenyans at their time of despair when, according to the Law Society of Kenya's tracking, more than 72 people were abducted while over 24 lost their lives. His activism led to his nabbing in October while honouring youths who lost their lives during the protests and he was later, in November, named Human Rights Defender of the Year at the HRD Awards.
Across the aisle, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, although an elected leader, has continued to prove that politicians can also be a force for good. In 2024, he has fought against government proposals including the Social Health Authority (SHA), and has contributed to upholding constitutional rights.
Online, where Kenyans were the top-ranked users of social media, Crazy Kennar, formally Kennedy Odhiambo, continued to dazzle the public proving his comedic invincibility and earning the Content of the Year award at the 2024 MCSK Annual Awards as well as another prestigious award at the Global Entrepreneurship Festival in Nigeria. He continues to raise Kenya's comedic bar high.
On the milestones front, Major General Fatuma Ahmed redefined military leadership after she broke the glass ceiling by becoming the first female Commander of the Kenya Air Force (KAF). She has amassed a 41-year experience in the military so far. In a different capacity, Dorcas Oduor was appointed the first female Attorney General. Her appointment was hailed as long overdue.
So, how was the Top 100 Kenyans 2024 list compiled?
Spearheaded by co-leads, Brian Muuo and Edwin Kuria, this year's list was a thrilling adventure four months in the making.
“The Top 100 Kenyans list recognises people who have driven change in significant aspects of the society with their work, new ideas, as well as leadership and several intrinsic qualities including integrity. Each of the nominees is judged according to specific factors such as their positive impact, policies touched, consistency in their approach, and credible awards achieved. This ensures that it does not become a popularity list but rather one of impact,” Kuria told me.
The initial draft, crowdsourced from Kenyans.co.ke’s entire team of editors, saw the initial nominees' list surge to over 300 potential candidates.
“We began the process of compiling the list in an early-September staff meeting which kickstarted the nomination process that produced an extensive longlist of nearly 300 Kenyans who have been making headlines and waves in their spheres of influence from Politics, Governance & Civil Society to Business and Entrepreneurship; Science and Tech and Media, Arts, Sports & Entertainment,” corroborated Muuo.
“The general criteria was that the enlisted nominees had to be impactful, innovative, iconic, and unsurprisingly, Kenyan - with a bespoke criterion for each of the five categories, to filter out the Kenyans who have truly made a mark in the pursuit of our national aspirations over the last 12 months.”
Interestingly, unlike marketed rankings that flood the legacy media, the Top 100 Kenyans 2024 is by design a release with no marketing. In other words, it drops on society's laps without notice. "This is a move toward organic buzz, building anticipation, and emphasising the authenticity and credibility of the list, so that all focus would remain on the impact and achievements of the nominees and not on promotional efforts," Kuria explained.
"The absence of top-tier politicians like President William Ruto from the Top 100 Kenyans list is due to the focus on individuals whose influence and contributions are evaluated within the year under review, rather than solely on their political position. The list prioritises those whose impact, consistency, and milestones align with the set criteria, and it's possible that in a given year, certain figures may not meet the specific benchmarks for inclusion. It also has zero external influences beyond the carefully selected vetting committee," he concluded.
Here is a list of Top 100 Kenyans 2024 as compiled by Kenyans.co.ke:
