Senator Crystal Asige Named In TIME 100 Next 2024 List

Nominated Senator Crystal Asige is now an international icon having been named in the 2024 TIME100 Next as one of the top 100 emerging leaders in the world.

Asige defied limits to earn a place in the exclusive list of 100 names who have stood out globally for their crafts.

On Wednesday, October 2, the legislator, who doubles up as a singer, expressed her shock and delight at being included in a list which features some of the biggest names on the planet.

"I have no clue how my work travelled around the world and landed in front of TIME, but naming me in their 2024TIME100NEXT list of influential leaders shaping the future of their fields and defining the next generation of leadership is wild, and you are all right at the centre of this acknowledgement," she shared on X.

The TIME100 Next recognises and honours individuals who have contributed immensely in their various fields like business, politics, activism and entertainment.

Asige has been nominated to the list by Eddie Ndopu, a humanitarian and a United Nations (U.N.) Sustainable Development Goal Advocate who described Asige as a brilliant badass African leader who embraces the unexpected. 

"Senator Asige’s life is a master class in embracing the unexpected. Diagnosed with glaucoma as a teenager, Asige rose to prominence as a formidable politician in Kenya—after first gracing the airwaves as an award-­winning singer," Ndopu wrote.

"With every twist and turn, she has charted a course that defies categorization. Since taking office, she has helped pass bills to uplift people with disabilities, including a tax break for parents and caregivers of kids with disabilities, and new support for Kenyan sign language. Senator Asige is a true Renaissance woman, proving what I have always known—being disabled is compatible with an extraordinary life."

The 2024 TIME100 Next issue has three worldwide covers, each highlighting a member of the list. Among those highlighted include Sabrina Carpenter in the singer-songwriter category, NBA player Jaylen Brown and Springboard and Opportunities CEO Aisha Nyandoro.

Also included are the likes of On My Mama hitmaker Victoria Monét, Marvel's Secret Invasion series actor Kingsley Ben-Adir and Pacific Rim Uprising actress Adria Arjona.

TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs noted that the list aims to recognize rising leaders and by doing so, not just show the stories that are capturing headlines in 2024, but also introduce the world to people who will play an important role in leading the future.

“The TIME100 Next list was created to recognize that many of today’s most influential leaders are individuals who are not waiting long in life to make an impact.

“Nor are they eager to respect the status quo by following the traditional power structures and pathways that have determined what influence looked like in the past," Jacobs notes.

Asige was also named in the top 100 list alongside Thomas Njeru who is the co-founder and CEO of Pula, a Nairobi-based microinsurance business.

The Extravaganza hitmaker is now set to attend the fourth-annual TIME100 Next event to celebrate the 100 individuals who were nominated in an event slated for October 9 in New York.

Nominated Senator Crystal Asige. /PATIENCE NYANGE.KENYA WOMEN SERIES