
2019
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).
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2018
Eliud Kipchoge Honoured as UN Person of the Year 2018
World Marathon record holder Eliud Kipchoge was today honoured as the UN Person of the Year 2018, with the UN body paying tribute to his positive role modelling to the youth to embrace the values of hard work, discipline, focus and dedication to achieve the greatness they are capable of.
Widely acknowledged as arguably the greatest marathoner of all time, Mr. Kipchoge recently smashed the world record by 1 minute 18 seconds. It is his perseverance and steadfast resolve to put in the hard work needed that moved the UN in Kenya to make him the 16th recipient of the Award….. read more>>

2017
Umra Omar of Safari Doctors is the ‘2017 UN Person of the Year
The UN team in Kenya on Friday 8th December 2017 awarded Umra Omar of Safari Doctors as the 2017 UN person of the year in an award ceremony occasioned by the UN country team and Kenya’s permanent representative to the UN office in Nairobi. Her recognition is as a result of her tireless efforts in delivering primary healthcare to over a dozen marginalized communities in her home County of Lamu. This award not only commends her for her great commitment towards helping Kenya achieve sustainable development goals but also reminds all that achieving global healthcare requires efforts from all. Upon completing her graduate studies in Washington, D.C., Umra returned home in Lamu to assist her community. She learned about a life-saving medical aid project that had been abandoned because of security concerns. That’s how she got so concerned and decided to launch Safari Doctors, a community based movement through which she carries out her medical safaris…. read more>>

2016
Tegla Loroupe Wins the 2016 UN Person of the Year Award in Kenya
Ambassador Tegla Chepkite Loroupe is the winner of the 2016 UN Person of the Year award.
This recognition is as a result of her efforts in getting refugees to participate in Olympic Games for the first time in history and her leadership in taking peace to conflict zones in Africa.
In June 2014, Tegla organized a peace race in Kakuma refugee camp to commemorate World Refugee Day and to promote peace in the region. She noted great athletics talent among refugees which she believed was worth supporting. Through her Peace Foundation, she established an athletics training facility for refugees in Ngong Nairobi…. read more>>

2015
Harold Kipchumba wins UN in Kenya Award 2015
Harold Kipchumba, UN goodwill immunization ambassador was awarded winner of the UN Kenya award 2015. The man at the moment was recognized for his selfless effort to advocate for vaccination against polio. Others recognized for their contributions were Martha Karua for championing Women Empowerment in Kenya, Ms. Sarah Tanui from Narok County for her role in promoting eco-friendly environment through eco-Manyatta initiative and Walk of Hope for promoting peace in North Eastern Kenya… read more>>

2014
Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Kenyatta wins UN in Kenya Award 2014
The United Nations family in Kenya commemorated the 69th anniversary of the United Nations with pomp and color at the UN offices in Gigiri, Nairobi by selecting and presenting the First Lady of Kenya, Margaret Kenyatta with the United Nations Award of the Year.
The First Lady earned the coveted title for her efforts to stop preventable maternal and newborn deaths in the country… read more>>

2013
Josephine Kulea wins UN in Kenya Award 2013
Josephine Kulea is a child rights activist working in Isiolo and Samburu County and the founder of Samburu Girls Foundation. Her work was featured in a poignant documentary by NTV called the Beads of Bondage. Her NGO stands firmly for the rights of children and protecting those rights. Josephine has rescued many girls from early forced marriage, harmful beading practices and Female Genital Mutilation and placed them in schools… read more>>

2012
Gudliye Farm wins UN in Kenya Award
As has been the tradition since 2002, the UN family for the 10th time honored Gudliye Farm with the UN in Kenya Award 2012, for its outstanding effort to eradicate food insecurity through embracing modern dryland farming as an alternative means of livelihood in Daadab, North Eastern Province, a predominantly dry area.
The farm is directly and slowly transforming the lives of hundreds of beneficiaries affected by Horn of Africa drought. Read… read more>>.

2011
Pamela Achieng’ wins UN in Kenya Award
A nurse who has gone out of her way to help mothers deliver safely is this year’s UN Award Winner.
Ms. Pamela Achieng’ Sombe who is a nurse at Duru Kadero dispensary was recognised for helping mothers. Armed only with basic equipment and supplies, Pamela has assisted many mothers who went to the dispensary in adavnced stages of labour. Without her help, the women and other babies would be among the statistics of those who die during home births.
Last Year alone, Pamela helped deliver 20 helathy babies at the dispensary which does not have a delivery ward or a labour room. The dispensary, which is 4 kilometres form the main road, has received mothers who go into labour especially at night and cannot afford transport to big hospitals… read more>>

2010
Martin King’asia Named as the UN in Kenya Award Winner
Martin King’asia has been the Chief Radio Producer and head of KBC Kiswahili service Radio (Idhaa ya Taifa) since 2009. He is also a renowned radio producer and prime time radio news presenter at the station. Prior to being appointed to head the national service, he was head of the station’s current affairs section between 2005 and 2008. He holds a Diploma in Radio Production (KIMC, Nairobi- 1991) , an advanced professional training in news and current affairs/computer aided radio (Cologne, Germany-1997) and six other assorted certificates in Broadcast journalism. He previously worked for the BBC Kiswahili Service in London between 1999 and 2001. He has developed his broadcast experience through travel, work and training stints in the United States of America, Germany, Britain, Belgium, France, Israel and Switzerland.
Martin co-designed the United Nation’s radio programme Timiza Ahadi, (Keep the Promise) which was conceptualized in 2005. He is a co-producer and the presenter of this programme, which features activities of the more than 20 UN agencies based in Nairobi and whose objective is to educate the Kenyan public on the purpose and aspirations of the Millennium Development Goals. These 8-minute programmes are transmitted on the national broadcaster at 9.15 a.m daily (Mondays to Fridays), except on Wednesdays when there are parliamentary sessions. Since 2005 when the firstTimiza Ahadi programme was transmitted, over one thousand (1000) radio programmes have been aired on KBC Kiswahili service. Through the programmes, a majority of the station’s over 20 million listeners has been able to appreciate the UN’s core mandate – to end world poverty; achieve universal education; promote gender equality; reduce child mortality and improve maternal health; combat HIV/Aids; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development… read more>>
Useful links on this story: UN Day Commemoration in Kenya

2009
Henry Kirwa Named as UN Person of the Year 2009
Triple Beijing Paralympic games Gold medalist Henry Kirwa was on October 26th 2009 named the United Nations (UN) in Kenya Person of the Year.
(UNDP) Communications Officer Nicholas Njoroge told Capital Sport that Mr Kirwa had been recognised for his advocacy against poverty eradication among the disabled people.
“He much appeals to all our eight MDGs(Millennium Development Goals) which we are trying to achieve in Kenya,” he said.
The athlete is also the UNDP MDG advocate in the country.
The UN in Kenya Person of the Year” is chosen based on their personal commitment towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and has been running for the last eight years… read more>>

2008
Snr. Superintendent of Police Joseph M Nthenge with his 2008 UN in Kenya Person of the Year Award
The United Nations in Kenya, on the occasion of UN Day on 24 October, has decided to award the 2008 “UN in Kenya Person of the Year” to Acting Senior Superintendent of Police, Joseph Musyoka Nthenge. Speaking for the UN, the Acting Director General, Ms. Inga Klevby said:“Today the United Nations family in Kenya recognizes Supt. Nthenge for his contribution to peace through dialogue. He is indeed worthy of the title – “Kenyan hero.”
Ms. Klevby added that “within a 48 hour period, Nthenge employed dialogue and negotiations four times to extinguish possible violent flare-ups. In addition to being seen on TV persuading a mob away from their destructive behavior, he convinced two other mobs in the city as well as dissuading a group of Members of Parliament (MPs) to call off a march to challenge the banning of public gathering inside the city’s largest park (Uhuru Park) by the police.”… read more>> | <<photos>>

2007
Mr. Abbas Gullet, Secretary General of Kenya Red Cross Society named UN in Kenya Person of the Year
The United Nations in Kenya, on the occasion of UN Day on 24 October, has decided to award the 2007 “UN in Kenya Person of the Year” to Mr. Abbas Gullet, Secretary General of Kenya Red Cross Society. His timely interventions and leadership has made the KRCS the leading National humanitarian organization in the country, recognised across the world as one of the best performing National Red Cross Societies, and an example of what local reliefgroups can achieve… read more>> | <<photos>>

2006
Ms. Njoki Ndungu, Nominated Member of Parliament in Kenyan parliament is the 2006 UN in Kenya Person of the Year
Ms. Ndung’u was selected because of her outstanding contributions to the protection of the rights of women in Kenya, and for serving as an inspiration for all Kenyans in keeping with the ideals of the UN. She is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya. Since 1995 Njoki has fough for the rights of women and girls. She has found cases of violence, in particular gender violence, are generally neither supported nor well understood but especially by policy makers and therefore has consistently tried to make them understood… read more>> |<<photos>>

2005
Ms. Agnes Pareiyo, named 2005 UN in Kenya Person of the Year
The United Nations in Kenya today commemorated the organization’s 60th anniversary by honouring a Kenyan activist for her efforts to save girls from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and under-age marriage in a community where such practices are deeply-rooted. Agnes Pareyio, of Narok District, was chosen as “the United Nations in Kenya Person of the Year” for her contributions to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)… read more>>

2004
Prof. Elizabeth Ngugi 2004 United Nations in Kenya Person of the Year
This year’s United Nations in Kenya Person of the Year, Professor Elizabeth Ngugi, of the University of Nairobi College of Health Sciences, is being honoured for her contribution to preventing the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Kenya. Professor Elizabeth Ngugi is a truly great woman leader. Over the years she has received numerous awards and honours for her considerable contribution to the battle against HIV/AIDS in Kenya and the overall development of the country. She is equally effective at the grass roots and national policy-making levels, and has consistently shown that she is unafraid to raise her voice against injustice. For these reasons the UN family in Kenya has named Professor Ngugi the UN in Kenya Person of the Year… read more>>

2003
Ms. Guddy Birkigt, named 2003 UN in Kenya Person of the Year
Ms. Guddy Birkigt, this year’s United Nations in Kenya Person of the Year, is credited with contributing to the conservation of Robinson Island, located 30 kilometres from Malindi off the coast of Kenya. The island has been under environmental threat from two major salt mining and processing factories that turn out highly concentrated brine, thus killing large stretches of mangroves. The companies created a dyke that blocked the entrance to the island for the local people, and a darn that blocked the only source of fresh water to the island. The local Giriama and Bajuni inhabitants had to wade through a creek to purchase fresh water sold by the same salt mining companies. The salt mining companies also contributed to the degradation of the mangroves in the area because of the waste which infiltrated the environment… Read more>>

2002
Mr. Joseph M’eruaki, named 2002 UN in Kenya Person of the Year
Mr. Joseph M’eruaki, this year’s United Nations in Kenya Person of the Year, is credited with having turned a barren land in Eastern Province with thorny bushes into a land of fruit and honey.
In 1995, Mbeere District was a drought-prone area. Two years later thanks to M’eruaki’s hard work and inspired vision, the shrubs had been turned into mango and pawpaw trees. He helped to train some 6,ooo farmers on seed preparation, propagation and topworking. Today, with the help ofMr. M’eruaki and the Kamurgu Agriculture Development Initiative (KADI), farrners not only produce seedlings for their own planting, but they also earn income from their sale… read more
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