Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing Kenya’s future workforce through sustained investment in education and mentorship.
This commitment was actualized after KenGen hosted about 200 students during its 9th Annual KenGen Foundation Mentorship Programme at Pangani Girls High School.
The four-day programme, held under the theme ‘Ubunifu bila upeo – Innovation without limits’, brought together secondary school and university students drawn from KenGen’s scholarship programme across its operational areas, reflecting an inclusive and community-driven approach.
In a speech read on his behalf by Acting Commerce Secretary Daniel Nzioka, KenGen Managing Director and CEO Eng. Peter Njenga noted that the initiative underscores the company’s belief in youth empowerment as a cornerstone of national development.
“KenGen has today reaffirmed its long-term investment in Kenya’s future workforce through the 9th Annual KenGen Foundation Mentorship Programme,” the CEO pronounced.
“As KenGen, we believe that investing in young people is one of the most impactful ways of securing Kenya’s long-term development. When we equip youth with skills, confidence, and opportunity, we are investing directly in the nation’s future,” he added.
Further, Njenga highlighted that the mentorship programme focuses on holistic development beyond academic achievement, equipping participants with life skills, leadership capabilities, career guidance and resilience.
In addition, he pointed out that the students also benefit from exposure to real-world professional insights through engagements with KenGen professionals and external facilitators.
Likewise, Njenga emphasized that the programme strengthens engagement with communities hosting KenGen’s operations by creating shared value through education and long-term empowerment.
According to the company, the initiative has recorded strong outcomes, with over 90 percent of sponsored students successfully transitioning from secondary school to university.
Beneficiaries have also taken up leadership roles, engaged in volunteer programmes and ventured into entrepreneurship, reflecting the programme’s focus on nurturing well-rounded individuals.
“Today does not mark an end but a beginning. We want these students to leave here believing that innovation has no limits, and that their aspirations matter,” the CEO asserted.
Meanwhile, beneficiaries of the programme lauded the initiative for transforming their academic and professional journeys.
Graduate engineer Sebastian Nzioka from Machakos County insisted that the programme has enabled students from diverse regions where KenGen operates to access quality education and mentorship opportunities.
“We were selected from regions where KenGen operates, and many of us initially had no potential to pursue our studies. The programme covers both secondary school and university students and offers full scholarships, including stipends to support our upkeep,” he divulged.
Nzioka added that the foundation rewards academic excellence, noting that top-performing university students who attain first-class honours in relevant fields may be absorbed into the company under its corporate social responsibility framework.
He also highlighted the value of mentorship engagements that bring together local and international facilitators to guide students on goal setting, overcoming challenges and adapting to a dynamic world.
“Our expectation is how we are going to achieve innovation beyond limits and address the problems we experience as a society. We also aim to give back, because a lot has been invested in us,” he remarked.
Another beneficiary, Patrick Njoroge, a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy student at the Technical University of Kenya, said the scholarship programme has helped bridge financial barriers to education.
“One thing I would like to thank the KenGen Foundation for is ensuring that poverty does not limit excellence in education. Most of us come from humble backgrounds, but the foundation has made sure we succeed,” he expressed.
Njoroge added that the program instills discipline and accountability among scholars by setting academic performance targets that beneficiaries must meet to continue receiving support.
In the meantime, KenGen Foundation continues to expand access to education and mentorship as part of the company’s broader social investment strategy aimed at fostering sustainable communities and supporting national development.
The mentorship programme remains a key platform in shaping a generation of innovative, confident and socially responsible leaders poised to contribute to Kenya’s development.
By Michael Omondi
