Prof Ndurumo, 'father of sign language', named UN Person of the Year
Prof Ndurumo was recognised for his pioneering contributions to disability rights, inclusive education, and his lifelong advocacy for the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
East Africa’s first deaf professor and founder of the Africa Institute of Deaf Studies and Research, Professor Michael Ndurumo, has been named the 2025 United Nations in Kenya Person of the Year.
Prof Ndurumo was recognised for his pioneering contributions to disability rights, inclusive education, and his lifelong advocacy for the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
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The award was presented on Friday during celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations at the UN Offices in Nairobi (UNON).
Fondly referred to as the Father of Sign Language in Kenya, Prof Ndurumo was celebrated for his groundbreaking work in developing the Kenyan Sign Language (KSL), which has been adopted nationally in education and communication and extended to South Sudan and other East African countries.
His efforts have significantly shaped how deaf persons access information and participate in society.
Prof Ndurumo also played a key role in championing media accessibility for the deaf by drafting legislation that requires all television stations in Kenya to include sign language interpretation during news bulletins.
This initiative has ensured that deaf viewers across the country can access news and public information in real time.
His leadership has been instrumental in shaping Kenya’s disability rights framework. He helped craft the Persons with Disabilities Act (2003), later amended in 2025, and was central to the inclusion of Kenyan Sign Language in the 2010 Constitution—recognising it as one of Kenya’s three national languages.
While receiving the award at UNON in Gigiri, Prof Ndurumo described the honour as a collective recognition of the resilience and achievements of persons with disabilities across Kenya.
"What began as a modest effort to create a tool for communication evolved into a national achievement,” Prof Ndurumo said.
“Today, Kenyan Sign Language is recognised in our Constitution as one of our country’s three national languages, a milestone that still fills me with pride. Of course, the journey was not easy. I had to prove that sign language could enhance learning outcomes for deaf students.”
Prof Ndurumo’s decades-long work has transformed Kenya’s education, communication, and legal systems, leaving an enduring legacy of inclusion and equality across the region.
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