Kennedy Odede

Founder & CEO of @hope2shine | I believe in the power of communities | We must localize aid!

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

Honored 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. Let’s keep making #GoodTrouble. The world needs more Rolihlahlas.

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

I am proud to work with @Meru_county under the leadership of my friend, @GvnIsaacMutuma, to transform the lives of thousands of young people and women in the county. @hope2shine
#CommunityEmpowerment

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

Yesterday in Meru County, alongside Governor Hon. Rev. Mutuma M'Ethingia, we launched a Community Resource Centre, a Community Bus, supported CBOs with cash grants, and provided low-interest loans to young entrepreneurs to boost their businesses.

The centre hosts a variety of our programs, including a community hall, a school library, a computer lab, and women empowerment programs.

At @hope2shine , we believe lasting change happens when people, especially youth, are given opportunity and the tools to succeed.

Thank you, Hon. Mithika Linturi, Buuri MP Mugambi Rindikiri, Hon. Florence Kajuju, nominated MP Hon. Dorothy Ikiara, and other leaders, for gracing our event. #CommunityEmpowerment

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

When we reject tribalism and choose unity, we build stronger communities where every person has a chance to contribute to the growth of our nation.
#NationBuilding

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

What a day in Nyeri County today! It was great to witness the election of new Shofco Urban Network (SUN) leaders.

The leaders will work closely with @hope2shine
to strengthen community engagement and ensure residents are connected to our programs.

They will also serve as an important link between the community and local authorities, helping to raise community concerns and encourage collaboration on local development priorities.

Congratulations to all elected leaders, and I wish you well as you begin to lead change in Nyeri County. #CommunityPower

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

Yesterday, in Machakos County,  we launched a new Community Resource Centre, offered cash grants to three Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), and gave 339 youth low-interest loans through our @ShofcoSacco to boost their businesses.

Thank you, Governor @Wavinya_Ndeti, for gracing our event, and to the Machakos SUN Community for hosting us.

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

This week, we launched a new Community Resource Centre in Oyugis, Homa Bay County.

The 3-storey centre will host a community hall, a school library, a computer laboratory, and an entire floor dedicated to women empowerment projects.

We also donated machines to two Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), offered cash grants to five other CBOs, and gave low-interest loans to 317 young people to boost their businesses.

Thank you, SUN Homa Bay, for hosting us.
#CommunityEmpowermentIrg

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

Wow, yesterday I was so humbled to visit the new Dr. Kennedy Odede School in Homa Bay.

Yes, it was my name, but for me, this is a reflection of the work of my community and my team to get to where we are today. @gpdkaluma

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

This morning, we begin our development tour of Homa Bay County with the launch of desks for 11 schools in Arujo Ward, Homa Bay Town Constituency.

I'll be joined by my friend, Arujo Ward MCA Hon. Tonny Otieno, at Shauri Yako Comprehensive School. #PromotingEducation

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

Due to the ongoing protests, we've postponed our launch of various community empowerment projects in Meru County, which was scheduled for tomorrow, to a later date. A new date will be announced soon. Thank you.

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

Together with my brother, @GvnIsaacMutuma of @Meru_county and other Meru elected leaders, we will launch various community empowerment projects, including a Community Resource Centre, Community Bus, and Youth Credit and Financial Fund on Tuesday, May 19th, 2026.

These initiatives are aimed at promoting sustainable development and creating economic opportunities for the people of Meru.

As @hope2shine, we are laying a strong foundation for long-term growth and shared prosperity in marginalised communities across the 35 counties where we currently operate. @ShofcoSacco #CommunityEmpowerment

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

Together with my brother, @GvnIsaacMutuma of @Meru_county and other Meru elected leaders, we will launch various community empowerment projects, including a Community Resource Centre, Community Bus, and Youth Credit and Financial Fund on Tuesday, May 19th, 2026.

These initiatives are aimed at promoting sustainable development and creating economic opportunities for the people of Meru.

As @hope2shine, we are laying a strong foundation for long-term growth and shared prosperity in marginalised communities across the 35 counties where we currently operate. @ShofcoSacco #CommunityEmpowerment

[SHOFCO @hope2shine]

𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐅𝐂𝐎 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩
Resilient cities are built from the inside out by investing in local leadership.
As leaders meet at the 13th World Urban Forum, we want to be clear: no city is resilient if it leaves informal settlements behind.

[SHOFCO @hope2shine]

This 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤, we’re celebrating mothers like 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐬𝐞𝐝𝐡𝐢, a community leader turning hardship into opportunity for others.
Grace founded Neema Tailoring School in Mathare after rebuilding her life as a widow. #YoungAfricaWorks #MothersDay2026

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

For far too long, we have been told Africa is rising. I don't believe in it. It cannot rise with only 1% of the continent's population doing well.

Growth that benefits only a privileged few is not development. It is an inequality.

We have to invest in grassroots communities and build systems that allow ordinary citizens to access economic opportunities.
@RockefellerFdn @hiltonfound #AfricaXchange

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

I shared the stage with @peter_laugharn, @WilliamAsiko, and @eyee5 at the Africa Xchange Conference in Nairobi, where SHOFCO co-hosted a powerful session on Shifting Mindsets.

As global aid dependency continues to shrink, Africa must begin to see itself not as a continent waiting to be rescued, but as a continent full of ideas and solutions.

The future of Africa will not be built by external support alone, but by strengthening community-driven solutions and creating opportunities that empower people to solve their own challenges from the ground up. @RockefellerFdn @hiltonfound #AfricaXchange

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

Earlier today, at the Africa Xchange Conference in Nairobi, I shared my thoughts on why sustainable progress must come from Africans investing in themselves, not waiting on outsiders. #AfricaXchange @RockefellerFdn @hiltonfound @peter_laugharn @eyee5 @WilliamAsiko @hope2shine

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

I sat down with @tobiasbelle1 on the sidelines of the Africa Xchange Conference in Nairobi to unpack the ideas shaping Africa’s future. #AfricaXchange

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

Great speaking at the @CIFFchild and @hiltonfound event at #SkollWF on WASH. Thank you, @peter_laugharn, for the tough questions on SHOFCO’s solutions in Kenya’s urban slums. For me, water is life, yet for many living in informal settlements like Kibera, access to it remains unequal.

Families in slums often pay far more per litre than those in affluent areas, relying on informal vendors and inconsistent supply chains that drive up costs. This means the people with the least resources are forced to spend the most on a basic human need, putting health and livelihoods at risk.

At @hope2shine, we are working to change that reality. Today, we supply 300,000 litres of clean, affordable water to 13,000 households every day in Kibera through a growing network of boreholes, aerial pipelines, and community kiosks.

Beyond water access, our #WASH programs integrate hygiene, education, gender and community-led solutions to ensure long-term impact for residents.

This work is deeply personal to me. Growing up in Kibera, I experienced the daily struggle for water. We could walk a 16-kilometre round trip from my home village in Gatwekera, Kibera, to Kenya Science to look for water daily.

That experience continues to drive our mission to ensure that water, and the dignity it brings, is accessible to all.

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

So glad to be back at Skoll and see so many familiar faces! @SkollFoundation @cheryldorsey #SkollWF

[Kennedy Odede @KennedyOdede]

On Friday, I joined Shofco Urban Network (SUN) community leaders in Kisumu for a fundraising initiative aimed at purchasing a minibus for generating income.

I believe in grassroots resource mobilisation as a way to solving the challenges we face.

Too often, we are conditioned to wait for external support, yet the power to create impact already exists within us.

Amazing work, SUN Kisumu.

You inspire me.