CNN African Voices showcases Onakoya, Mwangi

Two chess masters who are inspiring youngsters on the continent will be hosted on this week’s edition of African Voices Changemakers, the Globacom-sponsored CNN magazine programme.

The guests on the 30-minute programme are James Kang’aru Mwangi, a Kenyan top chess player and instructor accredited by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), and Tunde Onakoya, a Nigerian and founder of Chess in Slums Africa.

• Women activists seek speedy prosecution of rape cases in Bayelsa
• Over $3.2b spent on humanitarian response in North-East in 4yrs — UN

Mwangi who was inducted into the prestigious Forbes Africa 30 under 30 for 2021 on account of his prowess in the game, was trained at Technical University of Kenya (TUK) where his chess skills were developed.

He is the youngest national coach to have been appointed to lead any Kenyan team having been selected to head the Kenyan junior chess team at the age of 24 back in 2017. Skilled in his craft, the economics graduate has bagged the title of the best coach of the year in chess for a record four times between 2014 and 2019.

Onakoya on the other hand is a top chess professional in Nigeria. He is the founder of Chess in Slums Africa, an academy which develops children from impoverished communities through the game of chess.

The duo will engage viewers with their stories on CNN African Voices Changemakers on Saturday at 9.30am on DSTV Channel 401 and on Sunday at 4.30am, 7.30.am, 12.30.pm and 7.30pm. Another repeat will be aired on Monday at 4am, while a two-part, 15-minute rebroadcast will hold on Tuesday and Wednesday at 6.45pm.