Leaders’ take on festive gifting, family and ideal December

Leaders who are often associated with strategy meetings, targets and high-stakes decisions suddenly find themselves thinking about chai, childhood memories, family jokes that never get old, and the simple beauty of being present.

The festive gifting, in this quieter space, becomes less about price tags and more about intention.

Ben Siele, CEO of AGC Tenwek Hospital

For Ben Siele, December is about intentional stillness. After months of responsibility, his idea of switching off is a grounded one.

“Ah, finally switching off from the boardroom,” he says.

“My ideal December holiday is all about tucking away to the quiet space; playing with my family; cooking together; listening to the birds chirping in the morning; enjoying the scents of flowers and generally moments to reflect on God’s faithfulness.” Mr Siele says.

His rituals are equally unpretentious, an easy morning run or an evening walk with family, a game of badminton, sipping a hot cup of chai which Mr Siele says needs to have lots of ginger and spices, diving into a book, and ending the day with stargazing and bonfire stories.

This to him is nothing rushed, nothing forced.

Asked what he would gift his younger self, Mr Siele does not hesitate: “If I were to gift my younger self something this festive season, I'd give the gift of financial literacy and confidence.”

Why?

“Because navigating money matters, investments and savings is crucial at any age, but especially when you're just starting out. I'd want my younger self to have the tools and mindset to make smart financial decisions, crush debt and build wealth early.

Plus, knowing how to manage inances would've reduced fstress and open up more opportunities for adventure and growth,” Mr Siele says.

Christmas traditions, for him, come with the unmistakable aroma of nyama choma. He recalls Christmas mornings where fathers and sons gathered to light the fire, spice the meat, and carefully roast all edible parts of the carcass. The smell would fill the compound, and the feast would be devoured with ugali.

“It was the best way to start the day. Even with a busy life, I make it a point to carry on this tradition. It's a way to connect with family, create memories, and taste a bit of childhood magic.”

However, Mr Siele says that some festive gifts stay long after December fades. One that moved him deeply was a study Bible given by an old couple when he got promoted.

“It wasn't about the physical gift itself, but the thought and love behind it. It has become my go-to for deeper understanding of the Bible and reflection. Even years later, I still flip through it. It is a reminder of friendship, resilience and the power of thoughtful gifts,” he says.

When family gathers during this season, the CEO looks forward to moments around the table, the big Christmas lunches, the casual nyama choma nights, chai and snacks. He says that it is during these moments that titles dissolve. As his sister often says, “Hata kama uko CEO, hapa uko mtoto.”

And if Mr Siele were to create a signature festive gift, it would be a record of family memoirs.

“It would tell the tale of family history, travels and connections. Each story would come with reflections and inspiration behind the stories through the ages, an opportunity to inspire the young generation and impact the life values,” he says.

Jean Okech, Head of Spirits Portfolio East Africa at EABL

Her festive season is layered with reflection. Ms Okech says the end of the year allows people to sit down and consider what the year has been, what it hasn’t been either. There is honesty in that pause, even when the year has been heavy.

Gifting, in her world, starts with something increasingly rare, time. Time to travel back to the village, time to sit with parents, time to be present. She appreciates how people now take time to think about who they are shopping for, noting the growing intentionality and more elaborate thought behind gifts.

Read: What CEOs appreciate most about Christmas and gifting

Ms Oketch says that unwinding from the boardroom, especially in the alcohol beverage industry, requires planning far earlier than December.

“It starts way, way earlier than December, because for you to slow down in December, in the alcohol beverage industry, means you have to plan better. It means putting in some work into October, into November to set you up to slow down,” she says.

With her siblings spread across different countries, their holidays require even more intentionality from booking tickets early to deciding where “home” will be that year.

If Ms Oketch were to gift her younger self anything, it would not be an object. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even heard. They must be felt with the heart. I'm not a collector of things. I genuinely would pick a plate of good food over an outfit,” she says.

Her festive gift to her younger self she says would be grace.

“Grace to not care about everybody's opinions and actually just say what I think, instead of keeping it inside. Because I think we would all be better for it. So I'd give myself grace, I'd give myself freedom to speak.”

Christmas traditions, for Ms Oketch revolve around family. She says that home may change locations over time, but it has always been where the heart is. Spending time together is the tradition that she says for her never fades.

One of the most moving festive gifts Ms oketch says she has ever received was an experience, a cruise in Florida gifted by her siblings. Seeing the world through children’s eyes, traveling together and laughing together.

“They gifted me childhood in my adulthood. They gifted me childhood and memories that I will never forget, it was just full happiness, adventure, exploration, and family,” she says.

Her signature festive gift she says would centre on spoiling others. She describes it to be in the simple things like a spa experience.

On expectations and giving, she reflects on how assumptions can mislead. Her philosophy, she says is to give from the heart. “Give with the other person in mind, not with biases or assumptions. Take time to know people, after all, you have eleven months to do so,” Ms Oketch says.

Nicanor Sabula, CEO of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents

Nicanor Sabula’s Christmas begins with pausing and reflecting. He says he returns home. He enjoys spending Christmas in the village, visiting friends and relatives which is a tradition rooted in his upbringing.

“When it comes to the gifts, from where I come from in Western Kenya, when we visit people, we are given chicken. I love visiting relatives...and my children love this. Everybody has a chicken and it just warms my heart. But also for me, in terms of the ability to visit people with a bit of shopping, put a smile on their face. That's a tradition that I hold so dearly and it just makes my Christmas worth it.”

One of the most thoughtful festive gifts Mr Sabula says to have ever received was a tyre pressure pump.

“It was such a thoughtful gift, I thought, because in December, I travelled a lot and that tyre pressure pump has come to my aid a couple of times,” he says.

For Mr Sabula, the thought behind a gift matters more than its size. He recalls receiving the simplest of a gourd from an elderly woman, something that has become a treasured piece in his space.

“We are in the festive season and there is no better gift than family. If you can share a meal, if you can share a moment to take time and appreciate each other. The gifts don’t have to be necessarily physical or monetary gifts,” Mr Sabula says.

Sanya Weston, CEO of Scenery Adventures USA

For Sanya Weston, Christmas is anchored in three pillars, family, faith and community. Raised in that tradition, she continues it with her children and grandchildren through acts of service.

“We do a community service where we either feed the homeless, or we have this thing called Meals on Wheels, where you feed older people, and you gift them,” she says.

Faith, Ms Weston says grounds the season, acknowledging that it all began with Jesus Christ. Family, meanwhile, she adds that is a time for appreciation which their festive family time is often guided by a theme.

Family is the time when everyone comes home and we have an opportunity to show our appreciation. We normally have a theme. This year is photographs. So, whatever you can think of, that has something to do with photographs that makes it fun,” Ms Weston says.
If Ms Weston could gift her younger self anything, it would be knowledge of good health.

“My festive gift to myself could be a roadmap for eating well, exercising and living in a way that supports longevity and fulfilment. Watching my friends not make it to my current age, has reinforced the importance of wellness and intentional living.”

One festive, sentimental gift remains deeply rooted in her heart. Every year, her mother bought her a pair of shoes, often ones she could not afford herself. Even now, she continues that tradition of buying herself shoes as a symbol of walking into a new year with a new attitude.

What would she like to be gifted now?

“Something beautifully like transferring my DVDs that are filled with my childhood memories and moments with my mother, into a format that my children and grandchildren can easily watch.”

Her signature festive gift would be a tea set. Tea, for her, represents calmness, happiness and togetherness. She associates it with bringing people together, with warmth and joy. When people think of her, she hopes they think of tea, conversation and shared moments.

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