ALI Fellows Class of 2010 graduates at the Mt. Kenya Safari Club in Central Kenya

....The the Africa Leadership Initiative East Africa (ALI-EA), held its graduation ceremony today for its 2010 Fellows, with calls for the graduates to play their role in transforming the African continent by putting into practice the leadership lessons they have learned during their two-year journey together in pursuit of leadership excellence. 

Ali Mufuruki, Chairman and Founder of ALI EA reminded the fellows of their responsibility to society, saying that the future of East Africa and indeed of the African continent depends on the quality of its leaders and the choices they will make on behalf of their people.

"We selected you to join this program because we believed that each and every one of you has within them the qualities of a great leader. Our purpose was and remains that of helping you to recognize and come to terms with that reality and the implied responsibility. " Mr. Mufuruki said in his welcome address.

"This programme was designed to equip you with the tools you will need to face up to the responsibility of leading and by that I mean leading well. We have brought you together in this group so that you know you are not alone and have unlimited access to a vast network of resources you can rely on for useful feedback and wise counsel, a network of leaders whose values you share. So let's go and do the work that awaits us with the  confidence that derives from knowledge and the urgency the work demands" Mr. Mufuruki added.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony at the Mt Kenya Safari Club in Nanyuki, Kenya, the African Development Bank President, Dr. Donald Kaberuka urged the fellows to take on the challenge of transforming the immense opportunities that Africa has into real possibilities so that future generations of Africans can live dignified lives and claim their rightful place in the in the global community of nations.

"The majority of African countries attained independence from their colonial rulers long before most of you were born. Half a century later, there is broad agreement Africa is turning the corner, building a new momentum. My view is that the challenge of the leadership now is how to sustain the momentum. It is for this reason that I am very pleased to be here to bear witness to a process of leadership development that gives me hope of a better future for our continent." said Dr. Kaberuka.

"I want you to know that in me and the institution I lead, ADB; you have a partner you can call upon whenever in need and please do so without hesitation. Our support for and partnership with the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) East Africa emanates from our firm belief in that tackling the leadership problem in Africa is key to the successful turnaround of our continent's fortunes. I wish you all the best and look forward to engaging with you individually and collectively in the days and months ahead." he added.

The fellowship comprises four seminar spread over a two-year period. During the seminars, fellows engage in Socratic conversations on various issues reading from classical and contemporary texts under the careful watch of expert moderators. The themes of the seminars include a study of leadership styles and a search for the fellow’s own moral compass and appreciation of how it affects their exercise of authority; a search of the Good Society (going back in history to understand the evolution of human societies, the political, cultural and spiritual structures that underpin them, sources of strength and instability, etc.); a look at the challenges of leading in an era of Globalisation, understanding the challenges leaders are facing in today’s fast changing, connected and increasingly interdependent world defined by rapid technological, economic and societal changes and finally a study of the balance between self and society, encouraging fellows to think about their own legacies.

The Fellows also commit to carrying out a high-impact Leadership Project of their own choosing and design vetted and approved by their peers.

The 2010 Fellows whose class is aptly named "UWEPO" meaning "presence" in Kiswahili, are:

Stella Kilonzo, Chief Executive of Capital Markets Authority of Kenya, Magnus Mchunguzi, Vice President Commercial & MD of Ericsson South Africa; Awel Uwihanganye, Managing Partner of Tetea Uganda; David Mpanga, Partner, Kampala Associated Advocates; Dr Laila Macharia, Principal of Scion Real, Kenya, Richard Mugisha, Managing Partner, Trust Law Chambers of Rwanda; Leslie Rance, Head of corporate and regulatory affairs at British American Tobacco, Southern Africa Region; Andrew Rugege of Rwanda is Africa Regional Director of ITU and ITU Rep to the UN ECA in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Winnie Ouko, Managing Director, Lattice Consulting Limited of Kenya; Mugo Kibati, Director General, Kenya Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat; Pauline Mbayah, Director, ATMS Foundation, Johannesburg, South Africa; Jeremy Awori, MD and CEO, Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania Ltd; Rosette Chantal Rugamba, Founder, Songa Africa of Rwanda; Davith Kahwa, Founder, President & CEO, Equip Advisory Group (Pty) Limited of Tanzania; Frederick Kitaka-Mutebi, Co-Founder & Director of Finance, Quality Chemicals Ltd of Uganda and

Rehmah Kasule, Founder and CEO of Century Marketing Uganda.

One fellow Dr. Alwyn Mziray of Tanzania passed away suddenly in early 2011. May the Almighty rest his soul in eternal peace.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Background on Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) East Africa Foundation

Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) East Africa Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in June 2006 to roll out  ALI Fellowship classes in East Africa. From 2008-2015, the ALI-EA Foundation Limited aims to identify, strengthen and motivate 180 East Africa ALI Fellows, with 45 each coming from Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.

The launch of the ALI-EA Foundation set the pace for a passionate search for a new generation of leaders in East Africa, not just leaders who have achieved impressive levels of personal success, but enlightened and values-based leaders working together to build  the “good society.” 

Contact: Martha Maeda, marthamaeda@infotech.co.tz, www.ali-ea-foundation.net

Background Information on the African Leadership Initiative

The Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) is designed to capture the energy, talent, and the resolve of an emerging generation of leaders in Africa, who have already realized a certain level of personal success, to inspire them to move from success to significance and from thought to action by engaging in the foremost challenges facing their countries and their times.

  

ALI is a collaborative effort of five partner organizations in Africa and the United States – The Aspen Institute (United States), CETA Construction Services (Mozambique), the Databank Foundation (Ghana), Infotech Investment Group LTD (Tanzania), The Letsema Foundation (South Africa), – to foster values-based, action-oriented leadership in Africa. 

The Fellows

ALI Fellows are highly successful, entrepreneurial individuals from business, government and civil society. The Fellows are men and women who have already achieved a high-level of success in their chosen fields and are committed to promoting and personally exemplifying effective and values-based leadership in their countries. There are currently some 280 ALI Fellows from eight African countries. 48 of these fellows are from East Africa.

Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN)

All ALI Fellows are members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN).  The AGLN is a worldwide community of programs committed to values-based leadership and to spurring an emerging generation of business, government and civil society leaders to move “from success to significance” and “from thought to action” by tackling the foremost societal challenges of our times. The Network is now comprised of some 1,500 Fellows in 44 countries of Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America, Middle East, India and China.