NAIROBI, Kenya – The Universities Student Leaders Association (USLA) has embarked on a mentorship programme designed to nurture transformative leadership and equip young leaders with the skills and values needed to effect positive change in society.
The programme was officially launched in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, under the stewardship of Albert Maloba, who serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of USLA.
During the launch of the programme dubbed the Universities Student Leadership Institute (USLI), an event held at a city hotel, senior technologist Dr. Agnes Andolo was installed as its inaugural Chancellor.
According to Maloba, the occasion marked an important milestone in advancing structured leadership development, institutional mentorship, and youth empowerment across universities, TVETs, and colleges in Africa.
“This leadership programme has its structures anchored within our universities. We have other like-minded partners like the Kenya School of Government (KSG), which is helping us formulate a curriculum for the student leaders that will be running across all our Kenyan universities. We have also partnered with Safaricom under the Uongozi Student Center, among others,” explained Maloba.
Maloba announced that they aim to mentor young people in Kenya to embrace competency and pave the way for future leaders.
“We believe that our young leaders and especially student leaders need mentorship beyond the corridors of their institutions. Leadership needs to be nurtured and ironed out before we get out. I believe this is going to solve many challenges of leadership we have seen among our leaders. This is a platform that is going to expand the status of our young people and perspective towards the young people,” explained Maloba.
Dr. Ezekiel Mutua lauds USLA
Speaking at the same time, a prominent Kenyan media executive and public administrator who serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), Dr Ezekiel Mutua, who was the chief guest at the event, lauded Maloba and his team on the auspicious launch of the institution.
“This is a very timely move because one of the challenges facing Kenya, Africa and the whole world today is the lack of leadership. And so, to have an institution like this that is focusing on the best of our best who have gone through the University and have shown traits of leadership to identify and nurture them is a very good thing,” said Dr. Mutua.
Dr Mutua pointed out that he was happy to see that the institution has a structured platform to guide these processes, enabling it to train young leaders.
“To be a good leader, you must be a good communicator. You must be mentored to behave well and understand diplomacy. My appeal would be that all the teams that deal with nurturing leadership should join this institution so that they can be trained and mentored to become better leaders of tomorrow,” added Dr. Mutua.
He singled out the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017, Barack Obama, detailing how he rose from university student leadership to become one of the most powerful men on the globe.
“This is how people like Barack Obama grew up to take up positions of student leadership while still in the University and ascended to the top seat in the United States. That shows how important these institutes can be and why it is important for them to be funded, facilitated by the government and ensured that there is a structured and well-coordinated way for these leaders to be facilitated and be able to mentor others,” explained Dr. Mutua further.
What is the USLI’s mandate?
As an institution established under USLA, USLI is making a long-term commitment to mentor, train, equip, and empower emerging leaders through a professional and progressive leadership development framework designed to complement academic education with practical governance and institutional leadership experience.
The USLI will further champion initiatives in leadership training, innovation, research, diplomacy, governance, entrepreneurship, peacebuilding, public policy engagement, education mentorship, and ethical leadership while strengthening the capacity of young leaders to contribute meaningfully to national development, regional cooperation, and global transformation.
In line with this commitment, USLI has announced 100 leadership scholarships for the first cohort of student leaders who will benefit from the newly developed leadership curriculum and mentorship framework.
“These scholarships are intended to support the growth of visionary, competent, and values-driven leaders prepared to serve institutions, communities, and nations with integrity and excellence,” Maloba explained.
What is the way forward for USLA and USLI?
According to Maloba, USLA and USLI remain committed to working collaboratively with government institutions, universities, development agencies, stakeholders, and the private sector to strengthen youth leadership, expand educational opportunities, promote innovation and research, and create sustainable pathways for prosperity and institutional transformation.
“We respectfully call upon government agencies, institutions, and stakeholders to support and embrace this vision as a strategic investment in the future of young leaders and the advancement of society,” Maloba emphasised.
Other notable people who graced the event included Daniel Juma (Executive Director, Global Peace Foundation), university faculty leaders, stakeholders, student leaders, and organising teams.
The launch of the Universities Student Leadership Institute now sets the stage for stronger leadership mentorship, youth empowerment, and the development of future leaders in Kenya’s higher learning institutions.
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