In a corner of East London, tucked between tower blocks and winding streets, a daughter of Kenya quietly rewrote the script of British youth politics. Her name? Regina Mudibo Pamba—a British-Kenyan teenager with the voice of a generation, a sharp mind, and a vow she refuses to break.
When Regina stood up in front of the Barking and Dagenham Youth Forum in 2023—no speech in hand, no rehearsed slogans—she wasn’t just campaigning to be Young Mayor. She was speaking as someone who had grown up balancing two cultural rhythms: the steady wisdom of her Kenyan heritage and the restless pulse of modern Britain. What came out of her mouth wasn’t a pitch. It was power. Raw, unfiltered, and deeply rooted.
That day, she made history. The first student from Eastbrook School. The first person of Kenyan descent. The first her.
A Seat at the Table, and a Voice for the Margins
Regina’s journey didn’t begin with titles. It began with listening. As a 13-year-old, she was Eastbrook’s sole representative on the Barking and Dagenham Youth Forum—a council designed to give young people a say in decisions that shaped their lives. It was in those community halls and meeting rooms that she found her voice—not by mimicking others, but by recognizing that her perspective, her background, her story mattered.
Somewhere between Year 11 revision sessions and community campaigns, a realization struck:
“It is only me who can grant me the successful future that I desire so badly.”
From that moment, Regina wasn’t just part of the room—she owned it.
Ubuntu in the Borough
Though born and raised in the UK, Regina’s heart carries the weight and wisdom of her Kenyan roots. Her connection to the Kenya Society, her fluency in coalition-building, and her unapologetic insistence on equity speak to an African ethic that courses through her decisions—an ethic best described by the principle of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.”
That’s why she didn’t stop at symbolic leadership. She turned platforms into policy. Whether it was championing inclusive mental health care through YoungMinds, confronting inequalities in summer programs at Cambridge and York St. John, or contributing to the Fairer Cities Report, Regina showed that activism isn’t a buzzword. It’s a responsibility.
“I am because we are.”
She campaigned for better halal food access—not because it affected her directly, but because it affected her community. She called out ranking systems that placed Cambridge “first” and York “101st,” challenging them to look beyond prestige and measure institutions on how they treat people—particularly those from underrepresented communities.
That’s Ubuntu. That’s Kenya speaking through her.
The Quiet Power of a Dual Identity
Regina belongs to a generation that doesn’t flinch when asked, “Where are you really from?” She leans into it. The answer is both Barking and Bungoma. London and Lake Victoria. She is as fluent in youth policy as she is in ancestral pride.
And it shows. In her role as Student Governor at Leyton Sixth Form College—one of only two student voices on a 12-member governing body—she has helped shape institutional strategy, educational character, and mission. She’s reviewed budgets, advised on inclusivity gaps, and asked hard questions of leadership—because she understands how systems can fail those who don’t fit the mold.
But Regina never asked to fit the mold. She came to break it.
Her tools? The storytelling instinct of her ancestors. The no-nonsense drive instilled by immigrant parents. And a belief that politics must be personal, or it will be nothing at all.
Not Just a Leader—A Living Blueprint
What does it mean to lead from the in-between?
It means having one foot in the corridors of British governance and one foot in the stories of your motherland. It means crafting policy in English, but hearing echoes of harambee—the Kenyan spirit of pulling together. It means knowing that your charisma isn’t luck—it’s legacy.
Regina’s rise is not just impressive because of her age. It’s revolutionary because of her perspective. She proves that dual identity is not a burden—it’s a bridge. A tool for building community, challenging power, and belonging boldly in every room you enter.
And She’s Just Getting Started
As Regina prepares for university, her legacy already stretches far beyond Barking and Dagenham. She’s inspired a new wave of British-Kenyan youth to step into leadership without apology, and she’s reminded the rest of us that the future belongs to those who are unafraid to be whole.
She once said, “I vowed to uplift the spirit and profile of Barking and Dagenham… and I hate to break a vow.” That vow now echoes across continents.
Because when Regina Mudibo Pamba speaks, it is Kenya speaking. And Britain listening. And when she leads, it is proof that the magic of belonging doesn’t come from choosing one identity over another.
It comes from refusing to choose. And daring to be both.
