People

Willice Onyango is the Executive Director of The Youth Café, an award-winning pan-African youth organisation based in Kenya. He is a visionary leader passionate about social justice and dedicated to creating opportunities for young people. Mr. Onyango holds a Master’s in Innovations and Entrepreneurship Management from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor’s in International Diplomacy. He also completed the Civic Leadership Institute at Kansas State University as part of President Barack Obama’s Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

His work centres on global advocacy that puts young people at the heart of development policy and practice. He previously served as a global youth representative to the UN High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on Post-2015 and as the chairperson for the International Youth Council, Kenya. He also served in the African Union Working Group on Food Security and Demographic Dividend. Mr. Onyango has been recognised for his contributions, receiving the African Achievers Award in 2017 and being named one of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans in 2018. Under his leadership, The Youth Café manages an annual portfolio of over $1 million in grant projects, empowering thousands of young people through skills training, mentorship, and entrepreneurship programs.

Mr. Onyango is the author of the Kenya Youth Manifesto, a non-partisan publication that unified the aspirations of Kenyan youth. He is also a published columnist for several prominent news outlets, including The Star Newspaper, The Standard Newspaper, Huffington Post, Open Democracy, and the World Economic Forum. Born and raised in Kenya, his passion for youth development stems from his experiences growing up in a disadvantaged community. He is committed to ensuring that young people have access to the resources they need to succeed.
Mr. Onyango currently serves on the Board of the Global Fund for Children and other local and international boards.