ACCRA: THE former Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete, has presented the Africa’s Best Leaders Awards for 2026 at a ceremony held in the Ghanaian capital, Accra.
The awards are organized by Africa Leadership Magazine under the Africa Leadership Organisation, whose Advisory Board is chaired by the former Tanzanian President.
At the celebrations, the overall winner of the awards was President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana, who was named Africa’s Leader of the Year 2026 in recognition of his contribution to promoting democracy and economic growth in Ghana, as well as his leadership in strengthening regional integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
President Mahama’s award was received on his behalf by Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dominic Akuritinga Ayine.
Speaking before presenting the overall winner’s award, Dr Kikwete stated that one measure of leadership success is the ability to increase the income of individuals and improve the overall living standards of the people you lead, moving them from lower to higher levels.
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“Every generation of leaders faces unique challenges of its time, and thus must devise unique ways to address them,” he said.
Apart from President Mahama, other notable awardees included Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Samuel Matekane, recognized for his contribution to strengthening cooperation between government and the private sector in Lesotho, and Chief of Defence Forces of Uganda, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, honored for his role in strengthening the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and promoting military diplomacy in the Great Lakes region.
Others are the President of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, who received the award for Africa’s Best Political Leader, while the Vice President of Angola, Esperança da Costa, was recognized as Africa’s Best Female Leader.
General Kainerugaba’s award was received by Uganda People’s Defence Forces spokesperson, Colonel Chris Magezi.