SHOFCO founder Kennedy Odede awarded 2025 Nelson Mandela Prize
The award was presented during a ceremony held at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York on Friday, July 18, as part of the Nelson Mandela International Day commemorations.
Kennedy Odede, a long-time community activist and founder of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), has been awarded the 2025 Nelson Mandela Prize by the United Nations (UN) in recognition of his community-led development work across Kenya.
The award was presented during a ceremony held at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York on Friday, July 18, as part of the Nelson Mandela International Day commemorations.
More To Read
- Global SDG progress ‘off track’ as 2025 UN report warns of development emergency
- WFP resumes emergency food airdrops in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State
- Criminal networks exploiting instability to fuel global drug trade - UN
- 613 killed near Gaza aid outlets as hospital is overwhelmed by injured patients- UN
- Children in DRC, Somalia, Nigeria bore brunt of war in 2024 - UN
- IOM sounds alarm over suspension of life-saving transport in South Sudan
Odede becomes the first Kenyan man to receive this honour, joining Canada’s Brenda Reynolds as the two recipients of this year’s prestigious award.
The Nelson Mandela Prize, awarded every five years, is given to one man and one woman whose efforts reflect Mandela’s values of justice, reconciliation, and leadership rooted in grassroots change.
Odede’s journey began in Kibera, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, where he founded SHOFCO in 2004 with minimal resources while working in a factory.
What started as a youth group has since evolved into a nationwide movement that now reaches millions with essential services.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who presented the award, praised Odede for his commitment to uplifting communities.
“The organisation he founded now reaches 2.4 million people yearly with essential services from education to water,” said Guterres.
“As the United Nations celebrates 80 years, Nelson Mandela’s legacy of reconciliation and transformation continues to inspire and drive us,” he added.
SHOFCO currently operates in more than 90 locations across 35 counties in Kenya. The organisation offers a wide range of services, including clean water access, education for girls, primary healthcare, support for survivors of gender-based violence, and economic empowerment for low-income households.
According to data presented at the UN, SHOFCO’s reach includes 1.3 million youth leaders, 156,000 children treated for malnutrition, 40,000 households receiving clean water, and over $10 million (Sh1.2 billion) in loans issued to support small businesses and families.
While addressing the General Assembly, Odede dedicated the award to under-resourced communities like the one he grew up in, saying it symbolised their potential and resilience.
He called for a shift in global development models, urging institutions to move away from externally driven aid and instead empower local communities.
“In so many communities like Kibera, the gates of opportunity remain narrow. But at SHOFCO, we are not waiting for permission to belong to the future we are building. We are demonstrating that transformative leadership emerges precisely from the places the world overlooks, not just to walk through existing gates, but to widen them for others,” Odede said.
Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ekitela Lokaale, also applauded the recognition.
“The award recognises Odede’s work of promoting Nelson Mandela’s legacy of peace, dignity, social justice and equality through SHOFCO’s work of empowering communities and individuals in Kenya,” he said.
Odede’s impact extends beyond SHOFCO. He has served on several high-level global bodies, including the USAID Advisory Committee, the UN International Commission on Financing Global Education, the Obama Foundation’s Africa Leadership program, and the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders.
His accolades include the Echoing Green Fellowship in 2010, being named in Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2014, receiving the Schwab Foundation’s Social Innovator award in 2022, and making TIME’s 100 Most Influential People list in 2024.
Established in 2014, the Nelson Mandela Prize is unique among UN honours, focusing on individuals whose work reflects the principles Mandela stood for
dignity, equality, and public service.
This year marks only the third time the prize has been awarded since its creation.
Top Stories Today
