By Nyang’au Araka
The first time I saw the video of a little boy talking passionately about Africa’s past, present, and future, I doubted its authenticity.
As I accessed more videos, I became curious and watched them, and was happy to learn that the boy is Emmanuel Akot from Uganda.
When Akot walks into a room, people instinctively lean forward, not because of his age, but because of the quiet fire in his voice.
At just 11 years old, this Ugandan boy speaks like an elder statesman, with the vision of a president and the innocence of a child still learning long division.
It is a contradiction of sorts; his eyes dart here and there, like those of a boy battling shyness before the camera.
Akot has Africa’s story at heart, and he pours it out without a struggle.
He has been called “Mr. President” in jest, but increasingly, the world is starting to take him seriously.
Akot is the elected President of Raise the Voice Africa, a Pan African youth platform that grooms young leaders for a continent in search of its next generation of visionaries.
He was born into the rough hands of conflict, separated from his parents, and raised by a guardian who saw potential rather than pity.
That guardian, Isaac Kamulegeya, founder of Raise the Voice Africa, became both mentor and compass for the young Akot.
“My dream is to lead a united Africa,” Akot told a gathering of youth leaders in Harare earlier this year.
“Not with force, but with ideas.”
Outside Uganda
He captivated Zimbabwe in January, where he toured heritage sites such as Great Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls, rubbed shoulders with ministers, and shared podiums with veteran Pan Africanists.
National TV stations ran specials on him while newspapers carried headlines like “The 11 Year Old with a Continental Vision.”
He left Zimbabwe with a standing ovation and a continent beginning to whisper his name.
Then came Kenya.
In July, Emmanuel visited Nairobi under the radar, with no state dinner or red carpet.
I am not sure if he had any morning radio interviews.
Yet, that did not dim his resolve.
He spent quiet moments at local libraries, schools, and youth centers in informal setups, engaging Nairobi youth on issues of identity, unity, and leadership.
“One day, Africa will hear every voice, even the soft ones,” Akot said in Nairobi.
Back home in Uganda, the boy continues to juggle his studies with reading history, learning public speaking, and hoping for a better united Africa, which to many appears to be a pipe dream.
Maybe, he is the right dreamer, the right antidote for Africa. Only time will tell.
-Araka is a journalist and literary writer.