Meet MMUST Alumna, Hazel Stephanie Kusa, a Seasoned HR Professional Working With the Government, and Championing Youth Involvement in Public Service
Ms. Hazel Stephanie Kusa, a graduate of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, and a seasoned Human Resources (HR) Officer in the Government of Kenya, is making a difference in Public Service by championing youth involvement in the sector. Ms. Kusa, who graduated from MMUST in 2015 with a Bachelor of Business Management (Business Administration Option), is currently the Head of HR at the Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC), under the State Department for Devolution. Since graduating from the University, she has made notable achievements, including being recognized in 2024 as the most outstanding alumna of Kenya’s Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship (PSELF), during the inaugural Emerging Public Leaders (EPL) Alumni Network Gathering. The Fellowship, which took place in 2022, was organized by the Public Service Commission, Chandler Institute of Governance, EPL-USA, and Emerging Leaders Foundation-Africa.
Ms. Kusa at an event.
Ms. Kusa’s career began with an internship at the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, where she worked with prominent legal minds in the country. According to Ms. Kusa, a majority of these professionals were women, who challenged her to excel in the corporate space. “The pace that the team at the Commission set really inspired me in terms of how I think, work and interact with people,” says the HR Officer. In the progression of her professional life, she has been privileged to meet the crème de la crème of leaders, such as the former President of Liberia-Dr. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs-H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, EGH, former Head of Public Service-Amb. Dr. Francis Muthaura, Hon. Lady Justice Njoki Ndung’u-a Judge of the Supreme Court of Kenya, and Ms. Zainab Bangura-United Nations representative (Nairobi Office). “These personalities have played a key role in my mentorship journey and have made an important impact on my professional and personal life.”
Ms. Kusa receives a certificate from H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, EGH at the Kenya Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship graduation.
In her words, MMUST has also contributed significantly to who she has become, as she points out that she met her first mentors in the University. She remembers Prof. Robert Egessa (the then Dean, School of Business and Economics-SOBE), Dr. Moses Ngoze and Ms. Tabby Goko as some of the individuals who played a role in mentoring her while she pursued her studies. Ms. Kusa lives by the ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ book, which she says has taught her about how to balance her work and private life.
Ms. Kusa has been involved in advocacy work in Kakamega County, where together with other young people, she developed a Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) policy in 2021. “During this time, I realized that there was a need to have more people in the Government championing youth-friendly policies. This grew my interest in advocating for the inclusion of the youth in Public Service. I am also glad to note that from the Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship that I underwent, we were able to form an umbrella of young public servants in Africa, which we are developing into a network.”
Ms. Kusa receives an award from the Founder & Executive Director Emerging Leaders Foundation Africa, Ms. Caren Wakoli. The award was for the most outstanding alumna of Kenya’s Public Service Emerging Leaders Fellowship.
Besides being involved in advocacy, Ms. Kusa has participated in a number of programmes, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Barack Obama-founded Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), the Mandela Washington Fellowship, as well as the Political Leadership and Governance Programme (PLGP). “Enrolling in the YALI programme presented not just an opportunity to build networks, but was a turning point for me because I met so many young people of my age and even younger, who were doing amazing work in transforming their communities. This inspired me to change my life for the better,” she adds.
Speaking to current students and fresh graduates, Ms. Kusa encourages them to have the right attitude as they maneuver the job industry. “Be open to receiving guidance, ask questions and be willing to learn from your peers and more experienced individuals. In a workplace, do not confine yourselves to your areas of specialization, rather expand your antennae to other fields so that you can learn and have different perspectives in life,” she advises. Similarly, she challenges future HR officers to join professional bodies and ensure that they network with other professionals in HR. “You do not need connections to land a job as most employment opportunities are gotten in networking events and from referrals. Have in mind that to be referred to by someone, you must be good at what you do.”
Ms. Kusa speaks with Hon. Lady Justice Njoki Ndung’u at an event.
Notably, Ms. Kusa has a Higher Diploma in Human Resource Management from the College of Human Resource Management (CHRM). In the next five (5) years, she envisions serving as a Principal Secretary in the Government of Kenya to improve processes, while influencing her vision of championing youth involvement in Public Service.
By Wangari Wambugu and Caren Nekesa
