President William Ruto’s daughter, Charlene, is off the market after tying the knot with her Tanzanian lover, Isaya Yunge, in a traditional wedding ceremony hosted at her father’s farm in Kilgoris.
Charlene’s newlywed husband, Isaya Yunge, was born and raised in Mwanza, a city on the shores of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania.
His parents divorced when he was a young boy, forcing him to move from one foster home to another.
Although he believed education was his way out of poverty, Isaya was late to join primary school, enrolling at the age of seven.
Before then, he spent much of his time herding animals while his peers attended school.
Despite growing up in difficult circumstances, Isaya’s ambitions were not limited.
He was a great admirer of Nelson Mandela and dreamed of one day becoming a leader like him.
Determined to break the cycle of poverty and create a better life for himself and his family, Isaya continued pursuing his education despite the challenges he faced.
After failing to find acceptance within his own family, Isaya spent part of his childhood in Mwanza, where he witnessed the difficult lives of street children.
The experience inspired him to make a difference.
When he eventually joined secondary school, he spent his free time bringing together street children and teaching them English and basic mathematics.
At the age of 16, Isaya, through Sauti ya Watoto Club, convinced Radio Free Africa, a local radio station, to create a segment where street children could appear on air and share their experiences of life on the streets.
The goal was to create empathy and awareness among members of the public about the plight of street children.
The programme became hugely successful, attracting funding from UNICEF and running for six years, with Isaya and members of Sauti ya Watoto Club hosting it for four years.
His work in social and community development eventually earned him recognition, and he was selected by UNICEF to serve as a UNICEF African Youth Ambassador.
During his tenure, Isaya attended the G8 Summit, where he was invited by then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Today, Yunge is an entrepreneur in the technology industry and co-founder of Soma App, a mobile application designed to help students search for scholarship opportunities.
In 2018, Yunge was reportedly featured by Forbes among 40 African entrepreneurs representing the continent at the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit in Boston, Massachusetts.
His journey from a difficult childhood to becoming a recognised entrepreneur and youth advocate is a remarkable story of determination, resilience and the power of pursuing one’s dreams.
