The U.S.–Kenya Alumni Association celebrated 60 years of exchange programs with its very first Alumni Fair in Nairobi.
During the event, alumni from across the country and the entire region gathered to showcase the effect exchanges have had on Kenya’s leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Opening the fair, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Susan M. Burns said it was a special honor that one of her first public events in Kenya was with alumni.
“Over 8,000 Kenyans have gone through U.S. government exchange programs,” she noted. “You didn’t just come back with skills you’ve been creating jobs, scaling ideas, and transforming institutions.”
Burns praised Kenya as a hub of innovation, trade, and diplomacy. She referred to the country’s strong record in renewable energy and growing status as Africa’s “Silicon Savannah.”
“This is Kenya’s time,” she continued, pointing out alumni continue to drive people-to-people relationships that enrich U.S.–Kenya relations.
Alumni of the Center
Benson Abila, President of the Alumni Association, reminded those in the room the real legacy of the partnership is its people.
“At the heart of these 60 are the alumni,” he stated. “From Mandela Washington Fellows to Fulbright and IVLP alumni, these exchanges have created leaders who are reshaping communities.”
He cited President William Ruto, an exchange participant in 1999, as well as global leaders like UN Mandela Award winner Kennedy Odede and engineer Norah Magero, who founded a clean-tech company serving rural Africa.
Since its launch in September 2024, the association has also met over 1,000 alumni at regional gatherings and signed up over 1,200 members online.
Stories of Impact
Guest speaker Norah Magero, an alumnus of Tech Women, shared how her company Drop Access manufactures solar-powered refrigerators to store vaccines, blood, and insulin.
“Over a million vaccines and health supplies have been distributed to rural towns in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Côte d’Ivoire,” she said. “That is the power of alumni programs.”
She challenged alumni to continue leveraging U.S.–Kenya partnerships to fuel entrepreneurship, job creation, and research and development growth.
The fair also included voices from outside of Kenya. Mandela Washington Fellow Ashwag Elsayed of Sudan said that the program introduced her to like-minded Africans and strengthened her Pan-African identity.
“It opened doors for collaboration that continue to sustain our work today,” she explained
Looking Ahead
For others, the fair was both a look back at sixty years of exchange and a step forward into the future.
With more than 8,000 Kenyan alumni leading technology, agriculture, business, and governance, the partnership is transforming Kenya’s role in the continent.
As Burns captured: “We’re not just looking back over the past 60 years we’re looking forward. Together, we can make Kenya a shining example of success in Africa and the world.”
