The truest measure of leadership is influence. To quote John C. Maxwell. The ability to wield influence over people is one of the greatest things one could have. I mean money and status are great too but influence is everything.
The biggest influencers in Eldoret come from very different walks of life and are in very diverse fields. Still, if you want to get things done, create awareness on something, grow your business, or reach Eldoret residents, then the influencers listed below are who you go to.
Eldoret Leo Media Limited
Blogging and Social Media
I’m aware traditionally prophets aren’t accepted or appreciated in their own homes. Fortunately, we don’t do that here so I will start by recognizing Eldoret Leo as one of the biggest influencers in Eldoret town. The company, which is a digital marketing agency, was started in 2016 and has since then mastered the art of using digital tools to create human connections.
Its website is among the top trustworthy sources of information on anything and everything happening in Eldoret. It also happens to be the go-to for any business looking to tap into the Eldoret consumer class or extend its reach. The site has over 6,500 active readers and an average of 40,000 reads a month. Eldoret Leo reports on the latest trends, business openings, events and what have you.
Services offered by Eldoret Leo include social media management, advertising, photography, videography, content marketing, and website maintenance.
Nelson Biama
Activist and Event Organizer
When you see him walking down the streets of Eldoret in a simple t-shirt and a backpack, you couldn’t possibly tell the amount of influence Nelson Biama, popularly known as Maxivan has. Behind his short and seemingly timid stature, the man has accolades, titles, and not one or two but several organizations to his name. All of which earn him a seat at the influencers table.
For starters, he is the Founder of Fabwil Foundation, a charity organization that has done a lot for the less fortunate Eldoret residents. Secondly, he is one of the biggest event organizers in town. Do you know the annual Pamoja Concert which brings in gospel artists from all over? Yea, he is the man behind all the logistics. The End Rape Culture Gala and the October Pink Walk and Fun Run are also his brainchild.
Mc Nick
Events and Entertainment
Entertainers come and go but this particular one has stood the test of time and has managed to stay on top of the game for almost a decade now. I met him in form 3, was it? We used to have dance classes in school and he was our choreographer. At the time, he was the head of Gospel Warriors Dance Group. 5 years later he is one of the most celebrated MCs in town and consequently he is one of the biggest influencers in Eldoret.
Nicholas Karanja, popularly known as Nick The Trend, is a man who wears many hats. When he is not MCing, he works as a Trade Direct Representative at Safaricom. He also organizes events and apparently DJs. Man’s also has moves. As I said, he was a choreographer for Gospel Warriors, an Eldoret based dance crew that won a Groove Award and were finalists in Sakata Sn 3 and 4.
Through dancing, he brushed shoulders with big artists and major players in the industry. The rest, as they say, is history. Nick is a corporate, events and wedding Mc. He is also part of a select group of MCs called the Elite MCs in Kenya.
He is down to earth, optimistic, enthusiastic and very personable. All these qualities are probably why he breathes life to every party he graces. Mc Nick also organizes a couple of charity events in Eldoret. Additionally, he is involved with several programs that create platforms to nurture talent. Some of his clients include NRG Radio, Safaricom, EABL, Moran Events, and Coca Cola. If you need to create an entertaining climate for your event, this is the man you go to.
The most fascinating thing about him, however, has to be his ambition. At least to me, it was. This brilliant and talented Mc hopes to one day host The BET Awards or The Oscar’s. More power to you Nicko. I hope your dreams come true someday coz that would be massive!
DJ Tibz
Mainstream Celebrity
He is not one to toot his own horns but let’s face it, if there’s a man who can shut down the streets of Eldoret, it is DJ TIBZ. He’s not only the biggest DJ in town, but he is also one of the best DJs in the country. Talk of creme de LA creme, top dawg, big league, etc. He is a master event curator who has worked with 99% of top local acts in the country. Not to forget Romain Virgo, Busy Signal and Wizkid. I told you he’s in the big leagues. Believe me now???
Apart from DJing, Tibz, officially known as Ratib Musa, is an entrepreneur and the founder of Hits Republic. The latter features a DJ unit as well as apparel. If you’ve been to Eldoret, you can’t possibly miss two or three people in Hits Republic Hoodies or Caps in town. A true testament that he is among the top influencers in Eldoret.
DJ Tibz’s story is inspiring and his work exquisite. I mean, he has grown from DJing for free for 2 straight years to being one of the most requested DJs. He attributes his success to hard work, God, persistence, and discipline. And by all measures, he is pretty successful.
Lily Okeyo
Activist
Maya Angelou, one of the world’s most renowned authors and civil rights activist once said, “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” And that is exactly what Lily Okeyo is doing. Grabbing life by the lapels and kicking ass. This brave and phenomenal woman decided to take on the 2nd leading cause of death in the world: depression and suicide.
Lily as A Mental Health Advocate
She is a counseling psychologist who goes above and beyond to promote mental health in Uasin Gishu and 4 other counties. How so? Lily Okeyo together with her team, partner with several institutions and hold Wholistic Real Talk Forums. During these forums, kids and youths discuss issues affecting them. So far, she has hosted forums at Strathmore, KU, Moi University, and UoE.
Lily as An Influencer And Advocate For Quality Education
Mental health aside, Lily Okeyo is also an advocate for quality education and the founder of Work Her Dream Organization. The latter, which was founded in 2016, aims to ensure access to quality education for every girl child. I know what you are saying in your head. Here we go, another organization about girl child empowerment. Hehe.
Most people feel the girl child has been empowered enough right? But until women occupy say 900 instead of the 172 out of the 1,883 elected parliamentary seats, then I say we need more empowerment. Nevertheless, hearing the plea of the boy child, Lily recently started a similar program for boys.
Work Her Dream Foundation has partnered with Senator Kamar as well as local businesses in Uasin Gishu to create awareness, put girls through school and provide over 10,000 sanitary towels. These businesses include; Mwangi’s Institute of Cosmetology and Parlour, Hachis Restaurant, Rupa’s Mall, Dola, Zee Graphics, Kareem’s Hardware and West Link.
She has also partnered with the CEC of Education. A partnership that was aimed at building safe spaces in several schools. These spaces were created so kids can relieve stress from home so as to be in a better position to learn.
Lily Okeyo is a visionary who sees things as they could be and works towards that. Her organization skills, resilience, patience, and hard work speak for themselves. Her ability to make others buy into her vision and move forward with it is what makes her one of the biggest influencers in Eldoret.
DJ Warship
Entrepreneur
Joseph Mugo, popularly known as DJ Warship is one of the biggest and baddest DJs E-town has to offer. Consequently, his influence in the town cannot be overstated. At the mere age of 25, he has managed to pick up major awards such as Wedding DJ of the Year 2017/2018.
He has also played for the president himuselfu and was the official DJ for the Jubilee Party Tano Tena Campaign in Rift Valley.
DJ Warship, is the Chief Operations Officer at Swagsound Events Limited, an events consultancy firm. Under his leadership and thanks to him being such a big influencer, the firm has secured several high-end clients. Examples include Toyota Kenya, Equity Bank, APA insurance, and Geisha to mention but a few.
In a bid to fulfill one of his biggest desires, creating a creative hub where people can harness their talents, he started a DJing school dubbed the Swagsound DJ Academy.
This particular institution has produced over 100 DJs, 70 of whom are fully making a living out of the art.
Being a Dj and an influencer aside, Joseph Mugo is a certified psychologist and PR practitioner. His prowess in these two fields makes him such a brilliant influencer. Thanks to his knowledge in the two fields, he is able to understand characters and behaviors, interact gracefully with people and engage them on an in-depth level.
DJ Warship’s goal in life is to empower young people to discover their vision and purpose so they can be financially stable and achieve gratification.
Are there other influencers in Eldoret that we missed? Let us know in the comment section below.
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