The Star Person of the Year 2023 is set to be unveiled this Friday after weeks of nominations by the public and a rigorous scrutiny of the process by the paper's editorial team.
The prestigious award recognises Kenyans who have done exemplary well within the year to influence key events and lives.
Political Editor Felix Olick, who chaired the awards committee, said the public response to the nomination calls was overwhelming.
“For us, this is a big vote of confidence. Many nominations were still trickling in when we closed the process on December 1,” Olick stated.
A record 2,123 nominations were received this year showing the growth of the prestigious award.
Last year, 1,300 nominations were received, with former electoral commission chairman Wafula Chebukati scooping it.
National Cohesion and Integration Commission vice chairperson Wambui Nyutu won the 2021 award while Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah and appellate judge Mumbi Ngugi were joint winners in 2020.
Noordin Haji, the then Director of Public Prosecutions, and George Kinoti who had just become the Director of Criminal Investigations, won the first award in 2019.
This year's list was dominated by veterans in the civil society, chief executive officers of various firms, environmental champions and ordinary Kenyans.
For the first time, there were few nominations of the political elite with only one prominent politician appearing at number nine.
The second politician, a first-term senator, was number 14.
“Those nominated were from different backgrounds, some are well-known individuals, some were interesting discoveries of ordinary men and women who have done extraordinary work in the society,” Star Newspaper News Editor Jillo Kadida said.
This year's nominations had both male and female gender equally represented, Jillo added.
After the nomination process, the Star editorial team sat down and thoroughly scrutinised the list.
The top 10 candidates nominated by the public will be published on Friday. The editor's decision is final.
Key qualities considered for the award this year include a person who strives to make Kenya or their community a better place to live and work or a person who has greatly helped, inspired or brought honour to Kenya.
Other key qualities include a person who has invented a solution that has dramatically changed lives, a person of integrity or an individual who has stood against impunity and promoted good governance or anybody who has helped alleviate poverty or is an environment champion.