Dr. Kennedy Odede Honoured with 2025 Nelson Mandela Prize for His Work in Kenyan Slums
Dr. Kennedy Odede, the founder and CEO of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), has been awarded the 2025 United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize—one of the world’s highest honours for service to humanity.
The prestigious award, given only once every five years, was presented on Friday at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York during celebrations for Nelson Mandela International Day.
Odede, who grew up in the heart of Kibera, Africa’s largest urban slum, described the recognition as a victory for grassroots movements and underserved communities:
“Honoured by the #NelsonMandelaPrize. Mandela’s name, ‘Rolihlahla’, means ‘troublemaker’, the good kind that stirs courage, justice, and compassion. If that means fighting for dignity, equality, and peace, count me in.”
— Dr. Kennedy Odede, via X
From Kibera to the World Stage
SHOFCO, founded in Nairobi’s Kibra, now operates in 35 counties, reaching over 4 million people. Under Odede’s leadership, over 10,000 girls have accessed education 1.5 million youth have been trained in leadership.2,000+ staff have been employed.SHOFCO Sacco has disbursed over KSh1.2 billion in microloans. The group has facilitated over 180,000 youth jobs.
Clean water access, one of SHOFCO’s major focus areas, remains personal to Odede, who recalled his childhood experience of walking long distances to fetch unsafe water.
Legacy Already Taking Shape
In 2023, TIME named Odede among the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Earlier this month, a road in Mombasa County was named the Kennedy Odede Access Road, a nod to his contributions to national development.
“The Mandela Prize is awarded every five years, so being a recipient is no joke! It gives hope to other community organisations across Africa that their work matters,”
Dr. Kennedy Odede, speaking to Africa Renewal
Looking ahead, Odede says SHOFCO’s focus is sustainability:
“We’re already running income-generating activities. The goal is to make our work last, long after awards are forgotten.”
Dr. Kennedy Odede’s journey from Kibera’s dusty alleys to the global humanitarian stage shows that real change starts at the grassroots—with passion, purpose, and a bold kind of “troublemaking.”
