Peter Tabichi crowned 2019 UN Person of the Year Award

Globally celebrated teacher Peter Tabichi is the winner of the 2019 United Nations in Kenya Person of the Year award.

Early this year, Brother Tabichi became the first teacher from Africa to win the fifth edition of the World Teacher of the Year award, which came with a Sh100 million cash prize.  With the latest recognition, he now joins the list of other 16 select individuals who have been named UN Persons of the Year since 2002.

Brother Tabichi was recognised for efforts in promoting education. The UN has, since 2002, awarded and recognised different Kenyans who have been an inspiration to others in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While receiving the award, the maths and physics teacher at Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School in Nakuru called for governments to make sure that education, especially for girls, is a right.

He said that around 6 million girls of school-going age around the world do not get the chance to go to school, a majority of them in Africa. He noted that 72 million children are in danger of missing out on education in Africa due to war, floods and other challenges.

“Good education should not be a matter of luck but should be a right. Today people continue to struggle to learn. The role of education should be to unlock the best in people and give them the skills to relate with others in the society,” he said.

He encouraged people to be agents of change in the society by doing whatever they can to positively impact the lives of those around them, observing that one does not have to hold high positions in the society in order to make a change.

The award ceremony, which fell during celebrations of the United Nations Day that has been marked on every October 24 every year, was attended by UN Heads of Agencies led by UN Resident Coordinator for Kenya Siddharth Chatterjee and UNESCO Regional Director for Eastern Africa, Ann Therese Ndong Jatta, UN Staff, students, Kenya Government representatives who included Nakuru County Governor Lee Kinyanjui and Education Principal Secretary Dr Belio Kipsang and other members of Diplomatic community.

More photos for the event: UN Kenya Person of the Year 2019