There are moments in history when a mantle lies waiting.
Not passed down by kings, nor appointed by governments, but placed by God Himself into the hands of those willing to believe, to act, and to sacrifice.
Here in Meru County, in the humble villages and fields of our people, a mantle was waiting. It was the mantle of transformation — a calling to rise beyond poverty, beyond hopelessness, beyond the silent suffering that so many have endured.
I am Alfred Gitonga, and I stand today not because I am the strongest or the most qualified, but because I chose to pick up that mantle.
I did not inherit the Igati Mission through title or tradition.
The Igati Mission was born from the deep cries of a people yearning for dignity, for opportunity, and for a future they could believe in.
It was born from the whispers of prayers, the silent tears of farmers, the hopes of young people searching for meaning beyond broken promises.
The mantle of Igati Mission is not mine to own — it is mine to carry.
It is the weight of responsibility to transform pain into purpose.
To turn scarcity into sustainability.
To breathe life into dreams that once seemed out of reach.
I accepted this mantle by faith, knowing it would demand innovation, sacrifice, and unwavering love.
I accepted it with a vision: that Meru County would not be a footnote in the story of Africa’s development, but a shining example of what is possible when a community dares to dream together — and work together — for a better future.
Through initiatives like the One Million Bee Hives Project, the Igati Community Creative and Innovation Center, the Ubuntu Music Academy, and the empowerment of our local farmers and youth, we are weaving a new story for generations to come.
But this mission is bigger than any one man.
It belongs to all of us.
It belongs to every farmer tending a field.
To every mother fighting to feed her children.
To every youth who refuses to give up on their dreams.
To every elder who still believes in the power of community.
Together, we are Igati. Together, we carry this mantle.
We stand at a new dawn — not just for Meru, but for Africa and for the world.
As the winds of the new global order shift, it will not be the richest, nor the most powerful, who shape the future.
It will be the bold, the faithful, and the united.
It will be those who dare to pick up the mantles laid before them.
Today, I call upon each one of you:
Pick up your mantle.
Whatever gift, vision, or purpose God has placed within you — now is the time.
For Meru.
For Kenya.
For Africa.
For the world.
With faith. With innovation. With love.
We rise.
—
Alfred Gitonga
Founder and Servant Leader,
Igati Mission | Igati Creative and Innovators NGO
