The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) hosted a special ceremony on
Wednesday to honour Dr. Kennedy Odede, the Kenyan social entrepreneur and
founder of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), following his receipt of the
prestigious 2025 United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize.
UNON's Director-General Zainab Hawa Bangura lauded Odede’s relentless
commitment to uplifting the most vulnerable during the event, which was
attended by diplomats, civil society leaders, and government officials.
“I am here to welcome you to the United Nations Nairobi Office to celebrate the
remarkable achievements of Kennedy Odede, one of the 2025 Nelson Mandela Prize
laureates.
“Today, we gather here in Nairobi, Odede’s home, to extend our own tribute
not just as a United Nations family but as fellow Kenyans and Africans and the
broader international community,” Bangura said.
The Nelson Mandela Prize, awarded by the UN General Assembly every five
years, honours individuals who have dedicated their lives to the service of
humanity, following the legacy of South Africa’s first post-apartheid
President. Odede is the first Kenyan to win the award.
He grew up in Kibera, one of Africa's largest informal settlements, and has
built SHOFCO into a global model for community-driven development.
The organisation now reaches over 4.1 million people across Kenya through
health, education, advocacy programs, gender-based violence prevention &
response, Sacco, WASH, and women empowerment programs.
The South African High Commissioner to Kenya, H.E. Johannes Mahlangu,
praised Odede as a living embodiment of Mandela's values.
“Madiba believed in the power of
ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Kennedy is living proof of that
vision.
“Odede’s organisation serves the impoverished in Kenya and by so doing, he
brings to life the motto ‘let us make every day a Mandela Day’,” Mahlangu said
in his remarks at the UN Nairobi.
Catherine Nyakoe, who represented Permanent Representative to the United
Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Ababu Namwamba, at the event, congratulated
Odede and affirmed the government’s support for grassroots innovation.
“The work of SHOFCO is in line with the government’s development agenda to
empower people in situations as stipulated in Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the
Bottom-up Transformative Agenda.
“When Dr. Odede tells us no child is born into invisibility, we have seen it
in action from him. You have shown us how a single football has built a life-transforming movement,” Nyakoe said.
In his address, Dr. Odede expressed deep gratitude for the honour and shared
an emotional reflection on his journey.
“This prize is not just mine. It belongs to every child in Kibera who
struggles to dream of a tomorrow. To every young person in Mathare, in Mukuru,
in Kisumu, in Garissa, who is told to wait their turn.
“It belongs to every Kenyan who has been pushed to the edges, yet still
rises each morning with a fire in their heart and dignity in their soul. I am
saying thank you from them, also,” he stated.
The SHOFCO founder also encouraged youth who may be struggling at the moment
that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“Mandela taught us that we must never give up hope. You need to hear,
though, that hope alone is not enough. The responsibility of youth is not just
to dream — it is to activate. To inspire us. To make sure you are being heard.
You must refuse invisibility and you must be peaceful. Bring us solutions,” he
added.
Leaders and dignitaries who attended the ceremony
include Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, Vihiga Governor Wilberforce Ottichilo,
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, and Business mogul Manu Chandaria, among others.
“Grew
up in Kibera, lived as a street boy for a time, but with a desire to make a
difference and starting with just a football, he formed a youth Sacco that grew
into Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO).
“Today, his work brings
hope and services to over 4 million people across the country. What an
inspiring story!” Governor Waiguru said.
