Event preview: Day of two of Minto Conference gets underway

Delegates at the inaugural Minto Conference are set for what will be a packed program as the curtains come down on the two-day convention of Omogusii in Dallas, Texas.
The day’s program will focus on four broad thematic areas, namely service in the community, youth resilience and ambition in a changing world, transformative power of women and strategies for safeguarding wealth and financial assets.
Kisii County Woman Representative Doris Aburi will feature in the women-only panel that will discuss how women can empower change to inspire progress, the third panel session of the day that will be preceded by the youth forum.
“Women have a unique perspective that is rooted in common social constructs,” reads the day’s program notes for the women panel that will be moderated by Dallas-based journalist Bianca Agoki.
“This segment will celebrate and highlight the immense contributions of Gusii women across the various fields and explore ways in which they are driving change, breaking barriers and inspiring progress while exploring challenges/opportunities that gender presents and the role Gusii women can play in the development of Gusii women and the community at large.”
The conference will culminate with the Minto Benefit Gala, which will also feature the second session under the economic empowerment theme – protecting assets – that will feature Hyssop Properties CEO Naftaly Mwangi, Mecha Financial Group’s Joseph Mecha and Real Estate agent Mercy Wandia. Houston-based lawyer Laban Opande will moderate the panel that will also have leadership coach Lyna Nyamwaya and Robert Miano of Delta Financial Solutions.

“The panel will explore different ways of protecting your assets such as mitigating financial risks through diversification and hedging strategies, safeguarding personal and corporate assets from economic uncertainties and the role of insurance, trusts and estate planning in asset protection.”
Friday’s opening day of the conference saw the gathering brainstorm on a number of important issues central to the welfare of the Kisii community from the perspective of the role of those in the diaspora in shaping the direction the community takes in the context of socio-economic transformation.
Among the topics explored on the day was how the community would play its central role in nurturing future leaders for success, an education session that featured AfriThrive Founder Truphena Choti and Financial Services Expert Musi Kiarie, among others.
Other panel discussions held on Friday were themed around healthcare (mother-child health), economic empowerment (unlocking the power of investment) and cultural dissonance (navigating diversity and inclusion in a globalized world). Ichuni Ward Member of County Assembly Wycliff Siocha was part of the maternal and child health for a thriving future panel which was moderated by Badili Africa Executive Director Bina Maseno.
Ohio-based academician Prof Kefa Otiso opened the day’s program with a presentation on data about Omogusii, highlighting important statistical data focusing on economic indicators such as employment status, media income and remittances (to Kenya) and housing, among others.
Prof Otiso caused a stir when challenging delegates to the realize that the popular phrase “nyeusi” (common reference to black Americans) actually applies to their own children, who are born in the US. The panel was moderated by education expert Benjamin Bogonko.
“We have to accept that we are Kenyan Americans raising American Kenyans and that reality must sink in to the effect that while we refer those historically-known black Americans as chinyeusi, our own children are actually chinyeusi,” quipped the university don in his keynote presentation during the cultural dissonance session that featured Ogega Omete (Software Engineer), Duke Mainga Echate (chairman – Kenya Commodities Fund), Sheila Mbaka and Dr Dan Atambo.