Kenyan students get Mandela scholarships

Graca Machel, founder of Graça Machel Trust, speaks about the Mandela Centennial Scholarship Programme. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Ms Machel said the programme aims at creating better leaders.
  • South Africa on Wednesday marked 100 years since Nelson Mandela's birth.

Kenyan students are among the 100 selected from Africa for the inaugural Mandela Centennial Scholarship Programme.

The learners, who will study at the African Leadership University in Rwanda, will be taken through courses on leadership development.

They include Leah Ngari, Gloria Wafula, Joy Wamunyu, Diana Imali, Sharleen Nyakundi, Stacy Kioko, Caroline Kuria, Clide Odhiambo and Eden Wangari.

The initiative is part of the celebrations to mark 100 years since Nelson Mandela's birth.

Each student will receive an $8,000 (Sh800,000) annual grant to facilitate their stay.

LEADERSHIP

The programme is a partnership between Graça Machel Trust, the Nelson Mandela Institute for Development Studies and African Leadership University (ALU).

Africa Leadership University founder Fred Swaniker said: "ALU Rwanda provides a great setting to inspire a young mind, as it is located in one of the countries in Africa that is a great example of leadership and economic development in Africa. It truly showcases an Africa that works."

Ms Machel, Mandela's widow, said the programme aims at creating better leaders.

"ALU is a groundbreaking Pan-African institution that combines knowledge, skills, leadership and workplace experience....the best way to celebrate Madiba is to plant seeds of ethical, vigorous and committed leadership into our nations," she said.

HONOUR

South Africa on Wednesday marked 100 years since Mandela's birth.

Mandela is celebrated as a great leader who fought apartheid, which earned him 27 years in prison.

Upon his release in 1990, he went on to lead the African National Congress party to victory in the first multi-race elections in 1994.

He served one term as president before stepping down in 1999.