By DENNIS LUBANGA
Prominent Kenyan media executive and public administrator Ezekiel Mutua, who currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Music Copyright Society of Kenya, has called on student leaders to embrace the responsibility entrusted to them in order to positively transform society.
Dr. Mutua, who spoke while presiding over the official launch of the University Student Leaders Institute (USLI) on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, further urged young leaders to embrace competence, accountability, and visionary leadership in order to pave the way for future generations of capable leaders.
“Lead where you are. Don’t play the victim. Take action. Do something. Be a leader,” said Dr. Mutua, while emphasising that true leadership begins with responsibility, service, courage, and the willingness to act for the benefit of others.
During the event held at a Nairobi hotel, Dr. Mutua also presided over the installation of the Institute’s Chancellor, Dr. Agnes Andolo, congratulating her for accepting the leadership role and expressing confidence in her ability to guide the institution towards empowering young and emerging leaders.
He described the launch of the institute as a timely and important initiative aimed at shaping students into transformational leaders capable of driving positive change within society and beyond.
“This is a very timely move because one of the greatest challenges facing Kenya, Africa, and indeed the entire world today is the lack of effective leadership. Therefore, having an institution that focuses on identifying, nurturing, and empowering the best among young people who have demonstrated leadership potential while at the university is a commendable and progressive step,” said Dr. Mutua.
Why the youth matter in every society
Addressing students and university leaders present during the launch, Dr. Mutua said the greatest investment any society can make is investing in its youth, stressing that mentorship and leadership development remain critical pillars for national growth and transformation.
“To be a good leader, you must first become a good communicator. You must also be mentored to behave well, appreciate diplomacy, and understand how to relate with people. My appeal is that all institutions dealing with leadership development should collaborate with this institute so that young leaders can be trained, mentored, and prepared to become responsible leaders of tomorrow,” added Dr. Mutua.
The programme was officially launched under the stewardship of Albert Maloba, who serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the University Student Leadership Association.
According to Maloba, the occasion marked a major milestone in advancing structured leadership development, institutional mentorship, and youth empowerment across universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, and colleges across Africa.
“This leadership institution has structures anchored within our universities. We also have like-minded partners such as the Kenya School of Government, which is helping us formulate a curriculum for student leaders that will be implemented across universities in Kenya. We have also partnered with Safaricom under the Uongozi Student Center, among other partners,” explained Maloba.
What does good leadership entail?
Maloba further announced that the institution aims to mentor young people across Kenya to embrace competence, ethical leadership, and integrity while preparing them to become future leaders capable of transforming society.
“We believe that our young leaders, especially student leaders, require mentorship beyond the corridors of their institutions. Leadership must be nurtured, refined, and strengthened before young people transition into the broader society. I believe this initiative is going to help address many of the leadership challenges we have witnessed among our leaders today. This is also a platform that will expand opportunities and transform society’s perspective towards young people,” explained Maloba.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mutua told students that they must stop playing the victim and instead rise above challenges by taking deliberate steps towards solving problems affecting their communities and institutions.
According to Dr. Mutua, many young people fail to realise their full potential because they wait for perfect conditions, yet genuine leaders often emerge during difficult and uncertain moments.
He encouraged students to use their university years to build integrity, discipline, resilience, and courage, which he described as the foundation of impactful and transformative leadership.
“This is how people like Barack Obama rose through positions of student leadership while still at the university before eventually ascending to the presidency of the United States. That demonstrates how important these institutions can become and why they deserve support, facilitation, and structured coordination from governments and stakeholders to ensure leaders are properly mentored and empowered to mentor others,” Dr. Mutua further explained.
USLI hits the ground running
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, policy, and institutional leadership experience.
USLI will champion initiatives in leadership training, innovation, research, diplomacy, governance, entrepreneurship, peacebuilding, public policy engagement, educational 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 who are prepared to serve institutions, communities, and nations with integrity, professionalism, and excellence,” Maloba explained.
Other notable personalities who graced the event
According to Maloba, USLA and USLI remain committed to working collaboratively with government institutions, universities, development agencies, stakeholders, and the private sector in order 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.
The event brought together notable education stakeholders, including Dr. Johnson Ireri Kinyua from the University of Nairobi, Daniel Juma of the Global Peace Foundation, university faculty leaders, and members of academia who praised the institute for creating a platform that nurtures student leadership, civic responsibility, and transformative thinking.
They noted that such initiatives are essential in preparing young people for future national, continental, and global leadership roles.
Dr. Mutua also lauded Maloba and the entire organising team for successfully launching the institute, urging them to remain committed to their vision of nurturing responsible and visionary leaders.
He challenged students to go beyond academic excellence and strive to become leaders of influence capable of creating solutions, inspiring change, and transforming society for the better.
The launch now sets the stage for stronger leadership mentorship, enhanced youth empowerment, and the development of future leaders within Kenya’s institutions of higher learning.
