On July 27, The Reputation Poll International, known globally for its annual ranking of the 100 Most Reputable People on Earth and Most Reputable CEOs in various countries, released a new list that included 5 Kenyan leaders.
The five were listed as Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba, Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe, Teacher Peter Tabichi, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe A. Oparanya and Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture Amina Mohamed.
The list featured 47 women and 53 men from diverse sectors including; leadership, entertainment, advocacy, education and business.
According to the Reputation Poll, the selection criteria used to formulate the list centred on three key aspects namely: integrity, visibility and impact.
PLO Lumumba recently grabbed the headlines when he announced that he was backing Nigeria's Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (who was also named in the Reputation Poll list), as the candidate Africa should back to serve as the director-general at the World Trade Organisation job.
His statements drew alot of reactions across the continent, with many referring to him as the true African statesman.
On his part, CS Kagwe has been praised the world over for how he has handled the Covid-19 pandemic.
He has been eloquent, and offered a re-assuring voice to Kenyans at a time when panic and fear was creeping in as the virus spread across the world like wildfire.
His high approval ratings even saw him featured in the Wall Street Journal, in a report highlighting deputies around the world who had stepped into the limelight during the pandemic.
Teacher Tabichi needs little introduction after he was crowned the best teacher in the world following his win at the 2019 Global Teacher Prize, bagging Ksh100 million in the process.
The Mathematics and Physics teacher at Keriko Secondary School in Nakuru was the first African to win the prize.
His dedication, hard work and passionate belief in his student’s talent helped guide his poorly-resourced school in rural Kenya to emerge victorious after taking on the country’s best schools in national science competitions.
Kakamega Governor Oparanya has been an ever present figure in Kenya's war against the Covid-19 pandemic, with President Uhuru Kenyatta apponting the Council of Governors chairman as the head of the extra-ordinary committee tasked with combating the spread of the virus.
CS Amina has often been described as a woman of many firsts, thanks to her exemplary career.
As not only the first woman but first African to chair the World Trade Organization's (WTO’s) highest forum, she played a crucial role in the decision to eliminate export subsidies in agriculture, which was a huge for a continent pre-dominantly reliant on agricultural exports.
The CS has two presidential awards; Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart and Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear, a fete achieved by few.
The five Kenyans were listed alongside other well-known personalities across the continent such as South Africa's Olympian Caster Semenya, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and African Union Commissioner Amani Abou-Zeid.
