As a person who aspired to make a change, Dr. Shadrack Katuu is an example of an exemplary Kenyan who for 21 years, has managed to bring a positive change across the globe due to his interaction with various leaders as well as influencers from all over.
Shadrack Katuu is an information scientist who grew up in Eastlands, Nairobi County. He went to Alliance High School before joining Moi University for his undergraduate.
At this time, one of his professors suggested that since he was full of talent, it would be a great opportunity if he applied for post graduate studies.
Upon graduating in 1996, he returned home where he was later surprised by a letter of acceptance from one of the universities he had applied to: University of British Columbia.
Shadrack while in Alliance High School
In 1997, he relocated to Vancouver Canada where he started his course at the University of British Columbia. He agrees that there were a number of challenges including fending for money to cater for his upkeep as his admission did not include a scholarship.
After four years in Canada where he had managed to acquire two masters, he relocated to Botswana to begin a new job at the University of Botswana. Here, in 2001, at 27 years, he became a lecturer. However, after 2 years in Botswana, he decided to pursue his PhD in yet another country.
Shadrack Katuu while working at the Nelson Mandela Foundation
In South Africa, Shadrack commenced in a small NGO at the University of Witwatersrand. While there, a colleague of his relocated to the Nelson Mandela Foundation on contract.
The colleague suggested that he follow him as it was a great opportunity. Hence in 2005, Shadrack found himself working side by side with Nelson Mandela. After 5 years of working with Mandela and upon completing his PhD, he was on the move again.
Come 2010, he found himself a job at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC where he worked for two and a half years. Since then, Shadrack has worked for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria as well as the United Nations Mission in South Sudan where he is currently domiciled.
The most important lesson he has learnt from his many travels is that every country has its own challenges and thus all these are a constant path towards becoming better beings.
In order to follow in his footsteps, he says, one has to be sensitive to where the opportunity is calling him.
