In an age where presence is often confused with power, Cindy Oyugi has redefined what it means to lead. Not by proximity, but by purpose!
Despite never meeting most of her peers in the first cohort of the Amahoro Fellowship program in person, Cindy has emerged as one of the cohort’s most respected and influential leaders as well as winning the coveted Most Engaged Fellow award. Affectionately called Madam Speaker by her peers, Cindy has demonstrated that true leadership is not bound by physical presence, but by trust, accountability, and care.
The title “Madam Speaker” wasn’t self-proclaimed, it was earned. In the early days of the Amahoro Fellowship program, as cohort members playfully began addressing one another with titles like “Mr. President,” Cindy was the only one left without a designation. Naturally drawn to organization and influence, she was christened Madam Speaker. A title that soon carried far more weight than anyone could have imagined.
Cindy built a robust accountability system for her colleagues. Her system of accountability encourages her colleagues to share their aspirations and support one another through milestones and challenges. This approach to leadership built a deeply personal system of accountability where the group shared in each other’s successes and struggles.
Madam speaker in a 6-hour Christmas eve call with Cohort 1 Fellowship colleagues
Using technology, Cindy built a family and a system of accountability
Your success is my success, your struggle is my struggle
Cindy Oyugi
Graduation beyond borders – Isaac Fokuo spends an evening with Cindy in Cape Town to celebrate her graduation
To Cindy, leadership is not about holding a mic or standing on a stage. It is about being the person who stays up six hours on a Christmas Eve call with her peers, wearing a red Santa hat, because that is what family does. It is about calling a struggling member of your group who was on the brink of giving up and saying, “Not while I have breath in my lungs.” then helping them walk through the entire program to completion. When asked why she embraces this self-imposed care-giving to peers so seriously, Cindy recounted that the Amahoro Fellowship had given her a new family, one that she cannot live without and one that she didn’t have before as a foreigner living in South Africa.
Although the Amahoro Fellowship offers the opportunity for fellows to travel across countries as part of the program, Cindy was never able to travel due to documentation constraints. Yet her absence at in-person events has not diminished her influence. On the contrary, her presence is felt across WhatsApp calls, accountability check-ins, and long-distance celebrations. One time, one of her colleagues was in a meeting with some of the fellowship leaders and had to pause the meeting to take a call from Cindy – “Madam Speaker is calling.” he said. The statement underscored the reverence and respect she has earned among her peers.
Graduation beyond borders – Isaac Fokuo spends an evening with Cindy in Cape Town to celebrate her graduation
When Cindy missed the in-person graduation in Nairobi, it was Isaac Kwaku, Amahoro’s curator, who flew to Cape Town just to bring the ceremony to her doorstep. That moment cemented her belief in the power of connection. It was an iconic moment that resonated with the Biblical scenario where a shepherd would leave the ninety nine sheep in search for the one that was missing.
“That visit shifted something in me. I knew I was part of something sacred.”
Originally from Nairobi and now based in Cape Town, Cindy has always stood out. She was the girl playing in boys’ soccer teams, the only Black student in a sea of unfamiliar faces, the outsider who learned to observe deeply and adapt quickly. She once thought not fitting in was a weakness. Now she sees it as her greatest strength.
I wasn’t meant to blend in, I was meant to stand out.
Cindy Oyugi
Graduation beyond borders – Isaac Fokuo spends an evening with Cindy in Cape Town to celebrate her graduation
To Cindy, leadership is not about holding a mic or standing on a stage. It is about being the person who stays up six hours on a Christmas Eve call with her peers, wearing a red Santa hat, because that is what family does. It is about calling a struggling member of your group who was on the brink of giving up and saying, “Not while I have breath in my lungs.” then helping them walk through the entire program to completion. When asked why she embraces this self-imposed care-giving to peers so seriously, Cindy recounted that the Amahoro Fellowship had given her a new family, one that she cannot live without and one that she didn’t have before as a foreigner living in South Africa.
Although the Amahoro Fellowship offers the opportunity for fellows to travel across countries as part of the program, Cindy was never able to travel due to documentation constraints. Yet her absence at in-person events has not diminished her influence. On the contrary, her presence is felt across WhatsApp calls, accountability check-ins, and long-distance celebrations, like a six-hour Christmas Eve video call she hosted for her cohort. One time, one of her colleagues was in a meeting with some of the fellowship leaders and had to pause the meeting to take a call from Cindy – “Madam Speaker is calling.” he said. The statement underscored the reverence and respect she has earned among her peers.
I wasn’t meant to blend in, I was meant to stand out.
Cindy Oyugi
When Cindy missed the in-person graduation in Nairobi, it was Isaac Kwaku, Amahoro’s curator, who flew to Cape Town just to bring the ceremony to her doorstep. That moment cemented her belief in the power of connection. It was an iconic moment that resonated with the Biblical scenario where a shepherd would leave the ninety nine sheep in search for the one that was missing.
“That visit shifted something in me. I knew I was part of something sacred.”
Originally from Nairobi and now based in Cape Town, Cindy has always stood out. She was the girl playing in boys’ soccer teams, the only Black student in a sea of unfamiliar faces, the outsider who learned to observe deeply and adapt quickly. She once thought not fitting in was a weakness. Now she sees it as her greatest strength.
Cindy with Bathsheba Asati, Principal Strategy Custodian, Growth
Cindy with Julia Odoul, Strategy Custodian, Amahoro Fellowship
Lots of laughter to finally connect in-person with Amahoro’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Kris Senanu
Cindy with team members from Amahoro, Analytics lead – Tilda Mwai and Finance Custodian – Atlanta Wamahia
After 12 months of intense personal development in the fellowship program, Cindy has set her sights on national television and media influence, no longer afraid of how high her dreams might climb. Through her Young Queens YouTube channel, she’s committed to educating girls and empowering women with the tools of financial literacy. Today, the channel has close to 1,000 subscribers with over 10,000 views.
In all this, Cindy reminds us that true leadership is not tethered to geography, it is carried in how you make people feel seen, supported, and accountable, even from a distance. She leads not with footsteps, but with heartbeats, and that perhaps is the most powerful kind of leadership there is.
