Chief Justice Martha Koome has been nominated for the African Female Leader of the Year, a category in the ongoing African Leadership Magazine (ALM) Persons of the Year Awards.
In a statement sent to Kenyans.co.ke, the CJ received nominations from Africans who were granted the opportunity to select nominees across various categories.
The award is reserved for an African woman who has defied the odds and risen above the patriarchal systems in the continent to positively affect society and influence women to aspire for excellence in various fields.
Martha Koome, the first woman to occupy the Chief Justice position in Kenya, is recognised for her role in advocating for the rights of the less privileged in society.
Koome was nominated alongside four other contenders including Mariam Chabi Talata the Vice President of Benin and Winnie Byanyima the Executive Director of UNAIDS.
Nonkululeko Nyembezi the Chairperson of Standard Bank Group in South Africa and Naseem Lahri the Managing Director of Lucara Diamonds in Botswana have also been shortlisted.
"The nomination of Justice Koome for the ALM Persons of the Year Awards is consistent with ALM’s tradition of presenting the sides of the continent’s leadership achievements, which hardly finds placement on global media platforms," the statement read in part.
Consequently, the winner will be announced based on votes tallied by December 14, 2023.
The annual event of the African Leadership Magazine has been held consecutively over the past 12 years.
It brings together policymakers, private sector leaders, and other stakeholders across Africa to discuss issues touching on the continent's growth and development.
The event has also become a prestigious platform for honouring people-centered leadership and Africans who are pursuing a pan-African agenda in their chosen fields.
The Awards Ceremony will be held on February 22 and February 23, 2024, at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
