Chief Justice Martha Koome was on Friday honored with the African Female Leader of the Year award for 2023.
The CJ was feted at the awards gala in Addis Ababa on March 15.
Koome emerged the winner after a rigourous process which included nomination of for the annual award reserved for leading Africans contributing significantly to the continent’s progress, while inspiring a generation of African achievers, positively altering the continent’s perceived negative image.
She dedicated the award to the institution she leads (The Judiciary), noting that the award is not hers alone, but a recognition of the collective resilience and dedication of all striving for excellence across the continent.
“This award is not mine alone to claim. It is an accolade that I dedicate wholeheartedly to the institution I am privileged to lead, the Judiciary of Kenya,” CJ Koome stated.
She emphasized the importance of establishing and strengthening institutions that offer quality services to all.
“This recognition spurs us to persist in our pursuit of leadership excellence and to relentlessly enhance the quality of services delivery by our institutions.
“It is a call to action for all of us to continue working tirelessly for the advancement of our continent and its people," Koome stated.
Koome was announced the winner of the award by the board and management of the African Leadership Organisation (UK) Limited, publishers of the African Leadership Magazine (ALM).
Prestigious award and past winners
The African Persons of the Year Awards are Africa’s premier vote-based leadership endorsement polls and was largely based on results from the online poll, which attracted vote entries from across Africa and the globe.
The African Persons of the Year Ceremony is a flagship annual event of the African Leadership Magazine and has been held consecutively over the past 12 years.
The event brings together policymakers, private sector leaders, civil society leaders, thought leaders and all stakeholders from across Africa and the rest of the world to discuss issues bothering on Africa’s socio-economic growth and development.
The event has also become a prestigious platform for honouring outstanding African leaders who are pursuing a pan-African agenda and contributing to Africa’s development in their fields of endeavour.
Past winners of the African Persons of the Year Awards include Sudanese Businessman Mo Ibrahim, Founder of the Ibrahim Prize for Leadership (2012); H.E. Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria (2013); H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of Tanzania (2014); H.E. Goodluck Jonathan, former President of Nigeria (2015); Mr. Mo Dewji, Tanzanian Businessman and Philanthropist (2016).
Others are H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda (2017); H.E. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia (2018); Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of African Development Bank (2019); Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, World Health Organisation (2020); H.E. Lazarus Chakwera, President of Malawi (2021); and H.E. Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone (2022).