Boniface Otieno Owino, a 29‑year‑old farmer and gender advocate from Homa Bay County, was presented with the United Nations in Kenya Person of the Year 2026 award at a ceremony held in the United Nations Office in Nairobi on Tuesday, 27 October 2026.

The award recognises individuals whose work advances the Sustainable Development Goals and reflects core UN values, and it is presented annually on United Nations Day, 24 October.

Owino’s farm in Homa Bay doubles as a community learning centre where he has trained more than 100 women, men and young people in modern, sustainable farming techniques.

Deputy Country Representative for UN Women in Kenya, Dan Bazira, highlighted the farm visit as evidence of Owino’s active mentorship and urged county governments and development partners to expand similar community‑led approaches through greater access to equipment, finance and markets.

In his acceptance remarks, Owino credited the achievement to collective community effort and stressed that practical knowledge equips young people to create their own livelihood opportunities.

Kenyan Olympian and mechanical engineer Kevin Wekesa, founder of the Play Green environmental initiative, was named runner‑up for the same award, with his work noted for promoting aluminium bottle use, recycling at sports events, tree planting and climate workshops in schools.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'Oei, representing the Kenyan government, reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to multilateralism and highlighted the country’s historic contribution of KSh 142.4 billion to the UNON complex, alongside a new pledge of KSh 44 billion from UN member states for site modernisation.