Through weekly profiling of Young African Leaders, I keep getting inspired at how greatly they are transforming their communities. This week I met a very eloquent and passionate leader whose vision is to see a better Kenya, economically.
Mohammed Salat Osman is well-spoken, funny, very tall and ever smiling person never to be ignored. He commands the attention in a room.
I was born and bred in the Coastal region of Kenya in a remote village. I was a very proactive child. My mum always says I was very responsible from an early age. My upbringing was okay and till today, I still remember the love I got from my family and my community. My mum was a business woman. My dad who passed on in 2012 was a livestock trader and the little he got, he shared with us and with our extended family. By this I mean he paid school fees for my siblings and I, seven of us and for my many other cousins. He did this over time for more than 20 children. One of the conversations I had with him is still very fresh in my mind. (He stares at the white wall and goes in to deep thought) “Mohammed, I never went to school but none of my children will miss out on this for as long as I live. I must ensure you all have a better life than I did. When I sometimes pay your fees, I have no idea what people will eat back at home. This is for you. I may be here or not when you make it in life but this is your life. Treasure this opportunity”. I passed my primary education with flying colours and joined Ribe Boys High School. My journey was a roller coaster ride throughout my stay at the school. From very good grades in form one, to joining the drama club, poetry and public speaking clubs and getting my school to the National level more than twice while my grades dropped. Being appointed as the lab prefect in form three was a form of strategy by the teachers in their attempt to help me focus. I thank them to date because I improved from C’s to an A- in my KSCE. Upon clearing my High School, My dad and I had a one on one talk on the career I wanted to choose. He preferred a course in medicine and I hate the sight of blood. I think I am those people who are so sensitive that I probably would start crying with the patient and turn it to a therapy session. I wanted to either become a journalist or a lawyer. My dad didn’t like my choices because his belief was that the limelight eventually corrupts you. That lawyering might force you to lie or defend a guilty person. It did not settle well with him. My other choice was to study economics going by the level of extreme poverty in our bordering constituents. I joined The University of Nairobi to study a Bachelor in Economics and Statistics. I managed to work as an intern with the National bank of Kenya and Kathiani District Development Office previously under the ministry of planning as a development officer with the role of monitoring and evaluation. After graduating in 2013, I wrote a letter to the Machakos County Government looking for work and coincidentally they were looking for an economist. I got the job as the sole County economist under the Trade Economic Planning and Industrialization. We later got 10 more economists to help achieve our vision. My work largely excited me because we got to work on constant improvement of the domestic trade and market, trade planning and data driven development & research in Machakos. In May of this year, I was transferred to the Budget department as a senior economist. This involves budget and expenditure management. We work on program based budgets and development for different departments and the extended communities. My work mostly revolves around monitoring and evaluations. Sometimes we face challenges like late disbursement of funds by the government or we are unable to meet revenue targets but through planning ahead, the systems are accommodating enough to help us meet our goals. Early this year, I was selected to join the YALI Regional Centre program which changed my life for the better. Can you imagine meeting over 80 young African leaders from 13 different countries who are doing great things for their communities? The program made me rethink my priorities, my paradigms about Africa shifted and now, I think of not just working to take my community to the next level but Africa as a whole. In January of this year I enrolled for my Masters in Economics Policy and Management at Kenyatta University. A dream come true. I always tell the youth to never take things for granted especially in resources such as time. I don’t believe in being told the youth are the future leaders, I believe the time is now. Let’s think of living and leaving a legacy, a trait that most of our leaders lack. It should be declared a crime for any young person to lack a vision and a development plan. It should never be about money and power. The Kenyan and other African governments should also encourage accountability, appointments on merit and proper systems in place to fight any cases of corruption. The media should wake up and do its job without taking any sides. In the next 10 years, I would love to be the President’s economic advisor. I would love to work for the African Development fund, The Mo Ibrahim Foundation and the African Union.
When Mohammed is not being an economist, he wears the father figure hat which involves taking care and schooling his three younger siblings. He enjoys being a foodie who eats everything with the exception of red meat, pork and alcohol.
We wish you the very best Salat as you continue to work with the government of Kenya and in your dream of impacting millions of lives.
