The Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office in Partnership with the Kenyatta University launched Africa Centre for Transformative and Inclusive Leadership – ACTIL in Nairobi

UN Women, in partnership with Kenyatta University Has Launched the Africa Centre for Transformative and Inclusive Leadership – ACTIL. ACTIL has been established to raise and nurture transformative leaders in this period of the African Renaissance. “We need leaders who can address the paradox of a growing, attractive and rising continent yet plagued with poverty (holding 30% of the world’s poor), inequalities and exclusion, especially of women and youth, from mainstream development processes”, said Ms. Christine Musisi, UN Women Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Director. Prof. Olive Mugenda, Vice-Chancellor of Kenyatta University mentioned that “ACTIL will enable different types of leaders to explore and exploit their professional and personal potential with the view of unifying African communities in development. The Youth and Women will be a major empowerment focus.”

 The Africa Centre for Transformational and Inclusive Leadership (ACTIL) is hosted by Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya. ACTIL seeks to improve the leadership competencies of emerging and existing leaders in politics, government, business and civil society in Africa. Participants are certified upon completion of training and mentorship programme and successful implementation of their individual and institutional or societal transformation plans. The Centre also aims to facilitate the creation of a network of female and male policy and decision makers who are dedicated to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in economic, social and political development and who can, together, act as change agents within their spheres of influence.

“Africa needs leaders who are willing to move beyond themselves as individuals, leaders who are willing to take bold steps to pursue an economic and social development paradigm that is equitable and inclusive, recognizing that investing in women and youth is not just the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do. We are in need of transformative leaders who can promote and demonstrate a political paradigm that promotes integrity, good stewardship and human rights for all, an arena that welcomes women and young people as equal participants in policy and decision making processes on the continent”, emphasized Ms. Musisi.

The centre was launched on 19 February 2014. The Advisory Board members who attended included:  the Chairperson Hon. Thokozani Khupe, a Member of Parliament, vice president of the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe and former Deputy Prime Minister in Zimbabwe; the First Lady of Ethiopia H.E. Roman Tesfaye who is the Director General of Policy, Planning and Finance of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health; and the Vice Chairperson Mr. Martin Oduor, Senior Advisor at Deloitte Kenya and former CEO of Kenya Commercial Bank.

Currently ACTIL offers core leadership courses in: Transformational Leadership (foundational course), Agribusiness, youth leadership development, and women in corporate leadership, women in political leadership and Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting. ACTIL also provides on-demand training upon request by key partners. An institutional approach is preferred in selection of participants which enables ACTIL to establish partnerships with these institutions to enable leaders to effect change on a wider scale.