Our History
How Ian started the Tuungane Foundation
Ian's philosophy has always been centered around building communities and empowering individuals through the wisdom of elders. From a young age, Ian took on leadership roles within his neighbourhood, maintaining close relationships with older parents and friends to learn from their experiences. Throughout his career and education, Ian received support from exceptional mentors who shared their wisdom and, at times, their capital. This foundation is a reflection of Ian's deeply held belief in community and mutual empowerment.
Tuungane, which means "let's unite" in Kiswahili, embodies the idea of people coming together for the greater good of Kenya and Africa. The vision of the foundation is to create a strong, interconnected community where knowledge, resources, & opportunities are shared to uplift individuals & collective society.
Our Founder
Named by Forbes in the 2021’s 30 under 30 list, Ian is the Chairman and co-founder of Melanin Kapital, highly awarded climate finance platform dedicated to African SMEs, based in Kenya and Germany.
Ian is an engineer and former Kenya National Rugby player with experience in project management, leadership and content creation. He is passionate about building networks, structuring teams and promoting impactful stories. He seats on boards of Africa Leadership Academy, Kenya Diaspora in Germany and Parklands sports club committee. Ian has converted his love and passion for rugby into Golf where he aims to achieve pro level in the next years. He is lastly an ardent traveler having done 35 + countries and continuing to chase his goal of 100.
Empowering 1 million young Africans by 2050 with access to knowledge, mentorship, expert advice, and top-tier networks.
