Kenya is a remarkable country having produced phenomenal athletes and business leaders. Oscar award-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o and the late Wangari Maathai are symbolic figures of how Kenyan women are leading as globally acclaimed achievers.

This year, the inaugural Mpasho Top 25 Under 25 Most Promising Women in Kenya are reminiscent of hard work, beauty and brains, inspirational stories and unbeatable vision. The list was based on the ladies' work in music, art, technology, student leadership, entrepreneurship among other areas.

Behold, here are the ladies to look out for in 2016. Read and share widely!

1. Esther Kinuthia

22-year-old Esther comes across as a go-getter, an achiever and an inspiration to many people. Esther Kinuthia recently graduated from Strathmore University specializing in marketing. She was also a marketing intern with Google Kenya and will be soon joining Google Ireland as an Account Strategist. Esther has also been named by Business Daily Africa as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Women in Kenya.

2. Wanjira Longauer

The gorgeous Capital FM presenter is one of the fastest-rising radio show hosts in Kenya. She recently scored a gig with Ebony TV as a host of the show 'Moments' alongside Amina Abdi. She is keen on uniqueness, creating change, inspiring her fellow youth. Wanjira has spent most of her life in New York but has always been connected with her Kenyan roots.

3. Lornex Rono

Lornex recently gave a talk at TEDx Harvard. She is a survivor of the 2007/2008 post-election voilence and is a junior in Boston Public Schools. In just one year, Lornex has moved from being an English Language Learner to an AP student. She is a Boston Scholar Athlete, Track Team All Star, Varsity Policy Debater, a member of Student Government, all while maintaining Straight As.

4. Idah Nguma

At the tender age of 22 she's managed to win the Miss World Kenya. The lady has attended many national events, including the crowning of President Uhuru as the Best President in Africa by the prestigious Africa Education and Leadership Awards institute. She was also in attendance at the "Evening With Lupita" dinner held recently at Villa Rosa Kempinski Nairobi. She comes across as a dignified, inspirational and highly ambitious lady.

5. Mina Reeve

Mina is an Experiential PR strategist and founder of Nami Africa, a communications and PR agency based in Nairobi. She also worked on the Africa Parkinson's Disease Foundation's event and publicity when they celebrated the World Parkinson's Day on 11^th April this year. She was also part of the team behind the revamping of the National Youth Service (NYS). She also works closely with NCYE (Nairobi City Young Entrepreneurs U30) for their PR and event support. She's currently pursuing a Master's Degree at the University of Nottingham but has a vibrant team which manages Nami Africa.

6. Dorothy Nyamai

23-year old Dorothy Nyamai is a Biochemistry student in Nairobi. She's an avid environmentalist who's passionate in finding a cure for many illnesses affecting Kenyans. For her Master's thesis, she's studying the bark of Prunus Africana, which is used as medicine for prostrate cancer, among other illnesses.

7. The Moipei Quartet

The Moipei Sisters have won the hearts of Kenyans over the years. We've seen them grow to be one of the most successful Kenyan musical groups. They have sang the National Anthem at national events and received massive support and accolades from that. Their most monumental achievement to date happened in the USA where they sang the National Anthem at the onset of an NBA game; putting Kenya on the global map.

8. Tessy Cherono Maritim

Tessy Cherono is the first African Diversity Officer for the Executive Committee at the University of Manchester in England. She serves over 40,000 students on campus. She has been featured prominently on local and international shows and publications; from AM Live to the Daily Nation. Tessy is a co-founder of Arena Africa,

9. Shikow Femi One

You may have known her from her guest appearance in the hit song “Ligi Soo Remix” by Kaka Sungura. She has maintained her forte as a fast-rising Swahili rapper by releasing more songs. They include “Maumbile” ft Ms. Kerry and “Karata” ft Rabbit. She's currently signed by Kaka Empire, a label founded by Rabbit.

10. Chloe Mitchell

At the tender age of 21, the fashion designer has managed to get her hats to be showcased at Fashion High Tea and Samantha's Bridal Fair. Most recently she made a hat for Lupita Nyongo'o, which she happily accepted at the Villa Rosa Kempinski dinner. Her brand 'Drop of a Hat' is a fast rising collection. She's truly promising.

11. Wangechi Waweru

Wangechi is a household name in Kenya. The rapper is known for her resilience, her unique music as well as her smartness. The Strathmore University student was at the lowest moment in her life when she got involved in a road accident that changed her life for good. She has since managed to do several musical projects, the most recent being her inspirational video “Cardiac Arrest.' In 2014, she was featured by CNN Inside Africa as one of the artistes to watch in the near future. She, alongside fellow rappers Fena, Xtatic and a few others performed at the Excel Center In East London in June last year for the Excel Global Summit which was hosted by Angelina Jolie.

12. Malaika Firth

She has represented Kenya in the global modeling scene. Malaika, originally from Mombasa is now based in New York. The 21-year-old has already been featured on Vogue, The Guardian, Telegram among other top global news outlets. She has modeled for big brands, including Asos, Burberry, Prada and H&M.

13. Trina Njoroge

Trina is the official Face Of Kenya USA 2015. In a recent interview that I did with her, she revealed to Mpasho that she did not think she could do much because of her age:

“I’m only 19 and back then, I didn’t think I was capable of doing much, I wanted to make a difference but I didn’t know where to even begin. Then, I heard about Face of Kenya USA and it was a perfect opportunity for me to begin my journey and tell everyone about the charity I’m sponsoring known as “Angels Forgotten,” She said. This is not the first time she's winning a big pageant; she had been crowned Miss Teen ‘Peoples Choice Award’ and ‘Most Photogenic,’ as well as “Runners Up.” This happened in her high school years and it was a precursor to her recent big win.

14. Kui Purity Muchai

Purity Wangari Muchia just finished her undergraduate studies at the University of Nairobi (UON) and is waiting to graduate in December. She majored in Marketing and did a minor in Human Resource. Her biggest achievement to date is being a leader in societal issues. She's been a chair-lady of Women Student Welfare Association (WOSWA) and a Congress Lady in SONU where she oversaw over 500 student members.

Kui's motivation is her parents and siblings. She is currently working with Microsoft East and Southern Africa as a Marketing Intern. Kui is also working on an app that will help cancer patients solve their financial problems; the app is dubbed Cancervive. She's also Nakuru Youth Senator.

15. Elodie Zone

Elodie is currently a student in USIU. The Vlogger has a large following on her social media. She's made amazing videos, which explore the African stereotypes and issues facing local youth. Her videos get an average of 5,000 views with some going viral. She's previously worked with Clarence Peters, a top Nigerian music director on a music video. She is a part time presenter at USIU FM.

16. Phy Ng'etich

Phy Ng'etich is one of the most talented musicians in Kenya. She came second in the Airtel Trace Music Stars competition which was backed by Akon. She is the winner of this year's edition of Maisha Superstars. Phy is 22-years old and will be soon graduating from Penya Kenya's Sauti Academy, which is home to Sauti Sol and H_art The Band.

17. Miss Karun

Miss Karun still lives on even after her former band Camp Mulla fell apart. She helped the band get a BET Award nomination. She is an influential fashion icon in Kenya. Her album launch at Muthaiga Golf Club was graced by President Uhuru Kenyatta and she is currently working on new music and studying abroad.

18. Tabitha Githere AKA Dj Tabz

Dj Tabz took home a Groove Award in the G10 nominees categories. Her mentor is Dj Mo, the founder of System Unit Kenya. Her TV appearances include Kiss TV, K24, Citizen TV and more. She's one of the fastest-rising DJs in Kenya.

19. Tima Keilah

The reigning Miss Tourism Mombasa is also working with the Ministry of Youth, Gender and Sports (YGS). She's also working with Heclife A&J Organisation to give shoes and learning Equipment to children in hardship areas around the country. During her free time, she loves biking, hiking, exploring the outdoors, traveling and cooking.

20. Susan Eve Oguya

Susan is a co-founder of M-Farm. She strives to empower farmers by using technology as well as drive growth in the East African IT sector. M-Farm is a rising application mainly used by farmers.

21. Bosibori Nyambane - Wairimu

Bosibori is currently the human resource manager of AIESEC Nigeria managing more than 1000 students in 14 universities. She is ultimately one of the youngest HR managers in Africa. AIESEC is a global organization that offers leadership and creates social impact. She is a former student of Kenyatta University in the Information Science department. This girl has a huge potential.

22. Miss Kibati

Miss Kibati is one of the top fashion bloggers in Kenya. The 23-year-old is a full time student. She was nominated for this year's BAKE awards. She's also worked with several local fashion brands, for example Urban Fashion Kenya and Mr. Price.

23. Wangechi Mwangi

Wangechi is the founder of the Valuraha group, which educates students on financial literacy.The Valuraha Group, an incubated start up by iBiz Africa Research Centre in Strathmore, was well represented at the Global Student Entrepreneurs Award (GSEA) competition, which aims at honoring top student entrepreneurs who have founded and are running revenue generating businesses. Wangechi won the Global Social Impact Award category based on the start-up.

24. Rachael Ousa

Strathmore University's Rachael Ousa is a result-oriented lady. She won the Vice Chancellor's award for Best Sports Woman of the year at this year's graduation ceremony. She also graduated with a First Class Honors in Bachelor of Commerce, her major being in Finance.

She also won an Academic Excellence Award in 2010, Most Valuable Player award in 2009, the Most Promising Player in 2010 and was the Captain of Strathmore Hockey Ladies Team (Scorpions) in 2014. She is a recent winner of Pillars of Africa Award and has represented Kenya at the World Hockey League II.

25. Leah Thanji

At 25 years, she is probably the youngest female candidate to dive into the murky swamp of politics in Kenya. Ms Leah Thanji, a final year law student at Mount Kenya University is all set to capture one of the mos hotly contested and politically volatile parliamentary seats; Kasarani in Nairobi County.