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Two Kenyans, Thomas Njeru, the chief executive officer of insuretech firm Pula Advisor, and nominated Senator Crystal Asige, have been named in Time magazine’s expanded list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2024.
The TIME100 Next Influential Leaders list highlights 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science, activism and more.
Time named pioneers, leaders, titans, artists, innovators and icons among the most influential and important people in the world in 2024.
Mr Njeru was recognised for his efforts in helping smallholder farmers tackle the negative consequences of climate across Africa, Asia, and Latin America where the Nairobi-based microinsurance business Pula operates.
“Pula’s insurance payouts, totalling over $120 million, allow them to bounce back more quickly. Pula leverages on-the-ground and satellite data with its own AI models to calculate premiums, keeping costs low.
This innovative approach gives financial institutions the confidence to extend credit to farmers—leading to a 16 percent rise in investment and an impressive 56 percent yield boost for Pula-insured farms,” Time said.
Mr Njeru said he was honoured by the recognition, noting that Pula would intensify its efforts to insure more farmers against climate change.
“I’m honoured to be recognised by Time. Agricultural insurance isn’t just about mitigating risk, it is about empowering farmers to be resilient against disaster. Where droughts once set farmers back for years, our solutions now allow them to recover and reinvest almost immediately” he said.
Ms Asige was recognised for championing the rights and welfare of those living with disability in Kenya.
“Senator Asige’s life is a master class in embracing the unexpected. Diagnosed with glaucoma as a teenager, Asige rose to prominence as a formidable politician in Kenya—after first gracing the airwaves as an award-winning singer.
“With every twist and turn, she has charted a course that defies categorisation,” Eddie Ndopu, a humanitarian and a UN Sustainable Development Goal Advocate said in a Time commentary on the senator’s recognition.
“Since taking office, she has helped pass Bills to uplift people with disabilities, including a tax break for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities, and new support for Kenyan Sign Language.
“Senator Asige is a true renaissance woman, proving what I have always known—being disabled is compatible with an extraordinary life,” he added.
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