In Nairobi, a conversation with Sam Kirabo unfolded like a meditation on gifts, leadership, and service. His very name carries meaning, Kirabo translates as “gift,” or nechi cho ncho mgenu in his language, and it is a name he embodies in both word and deed.
Asked about the gifts he possesses, Kirabo responded with humility. “There are many gifts,” he admitted, “but I know there are certain things God has given me that I am able to share with the world.” With a smile, he added, “You have two hands. One is dominant. My dominant hand is the support hand.”
This posture of support had been present since his campus days, whether in worship at St. Francis Chapel, serving in music spaces, or showing up to enable others. “It’s almost a disease, availability,” he joked. “You’re in Nairobi and stuck? Call me. Even when I’m not physically present, I’ll find a way. That’s my gift: helping people do what God has called them to do.”
The timing was apt. CivSource Africa and CivLegacy Foundation are preparing for the inaugural Leaders’ Gala and Ball, an event grounded in the conviction that when leaders are well, organizations and communities thrive. In this spirit, Kirabo’s words offered a fitting prelude.
His connection to CivSource dates back to 2018–2019, a period that sharpened his leadership awareness. Yet when asked when he first led, his answer was immediate: “Leading myself.” That journey crystallized at Worship Harvest’s Harvest Institute in 2018, a year-long program built on John Maxwell’s teachings and practical experiences like forming a missional community, building a tech team, and empowering others. “If I don’t lead myself,” he reflected, “I may not be able to lead others. Sometimes self-leadership is telling yourself: get up, shower, brush your teeth, and go do the work.” That season also birthed his book, Funding Your Dream.
At CivSource Africa, Kirabo served as right-hand support in the CEO’s office, showing initiative, researching, mapping paths forward, and helping the team succeed. One moment stayed with him: being told he was not technical “…yet.” That single word shifted his mindset. From then on, he tackled assignments with confidence, from travel navigation to partner research.
Stories of his quiet presence abound. At a retreat in Chobe, he anticipated a forgotten need, thank-you cards for staff, and had already brought them. “Supporting leaders is learning who they are, anticipating needs, and meeting them before they’re spoken,” he said. His trustworthiness extended so far he was even entrusted with the CEO’s children. “I am here because of CivSource,” he affirmed.
For him, leadership is less about titles and more about helping others become. He called it discipleship: a “life-on-life walk,” as ordinary as reminding someone to use deodorant or buying shoes for a volunteer. Quoting Maxwell, “everything rises and falls on leadership”, he emphasized that enabling one person often unlocks many more. He spoke with joy about a volunteer he trained who now leads sound at Worship Harvest Naira, a living example of multiplied impact.
As CivSource Africa approaches its eighth anniversary on October 1, 2025, Kirabo offered three reflections. First, celebrate people: “Your work is done by people. Celebrate presence, celebrate gifts, celebrate who they are.” Second, respect everyone and build family: “You treated security, kitchen, and cleaning staff like family, the same tea as the CEO. That isn’t common. It builds belonging.” The third, he smiled, was still on its way.
Threaded through his life are the small, unglamorous acts that make big things possible: a phone call made, a room set, research done, a thank-you card handed at just the right time. He does not seek the spotlight. “Everyone has something like this,” he explained. “Name your gift. Then go all the way with it.”
For him, the dominant hand is not the one that grasps recognition, but the one that steadies others so they can shine.
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