Francis Atwoli’s adopted daughter Valentine Nekesa shot to fame in 2017 when she Blaze Be Your Own Boss competition in 2017 and took home Ksh5 million.
Nekesa was on 6th September 1997 in a family of 13 in Webuye, Bungoma county. She was raised by her mother who died when she was only 12 years old.
The Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU-K) secretary general adopted his niece Nekese after she lost her mother.
Nekesa attended Kakamega Primary School before joining Moi Girls High School, Eldoret, in Uasin Gishu County.
She joined Mount Kenya University (MKU) in 2015 where she pursued a degree in information technology (BIT).
From a young age, Nekesa demonstrated business acumen. At just the age of 17 after completing high school she started a successful fashion business dubbed Nekesa Queens Limited.
Her passion for fashion saw her design clothes which became a hotcake for her niche market, she focused creativity on designs for plus size people which most people were not doing.
Nekesa made her first million as a fashion designer from the company she started after completing high school.
In 2017, she was motivated to join Blaze Be Your Own Boss competition to competed against several other young entrepreneurs from across the country for a chance to win cash prize and enroll for a mentorship program with some of Kenya’s most established business magnates.
Nekesa ultimately won the Blaze Be Your Own Boss competition taking home Ksh3 million in capital, and Ksh2 million in the form of mentorship, financial advice, and business support.
Atwoli’s adopted daughter boasts of several other accolades thanks to her business ventre. One of her biggest achievements is a nomination on Top 40 Under 40 Women in Kenya in 2017, where she was ranked at position 14.
Nekesa now employs other people in her company. At a just tender age of 24, Atwoli’s adopted daughter is among a handful of self-made young millionaires in Kenya.
