By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
China Mobile International
Limited (CMI), the University of Nairobi and Jomo Kenyatta University of
Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) have launched a four-month innovation
programme in Nairobi to connect Kenyan university students with industry
expertise, mentorship and pathways to market.
The programme was launched
at the CMI Workshop and Hackathon for the Next Generation of Kenyan Innovators,
attended by John Kipchumba Tanui, Principal Secretary in Kenya’s State
Department of ICT and Digital Economy.
The initiative will bring
together student teams, each paired with a CMI sponsor, to develop solutions in
cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), software engineering, the
Internet of Things (IoT), data connectivity, big data analytics and emerging
technologies, including digital twins, blockchain, cybersecurity and 5G.
The programme will focus on
practical innovation, working prototypes, measurable impact and solutions with
the potential to scale. The top team will receive corporate development support
from CMI to advance its solution towards market deployment.
Tanui said Kenya’s digital
economy would be shaped by the country’s ability to convert talent, research
and innovation into solutions that address real-world challenges and create new
industries.
“Our best resource in this
country is our talent,” he said.
He called for closer
collaboration between industry and academia, challenging stakeholders to help
young people take their ideas beyond competitions and awards towards piloting,
enterprise creation and job opportunities.
Tanui also urged students to
use the mentorship opportunities, collaborate across institutions and develop
their ideas beyond prototypes into viable products, enterprises and solutions
that create value.
“The competition is only the
beginning,” he told the students, encouraging them to design solutions with
sustainability and scalability in mind so that innovations addressing small challenges
could grow to serve wider needs.
He said innovation also
offered young people the opportunity to build enterprises that generate
employment for others, rather than focusing solely on seeking jobs.
Tanui commended Terry Leung,
Regional Managing Director for Africa at China Mobile International, and his
team, alongside Dr Lawrence Nderu, Founder and Project Lead of JHUB Africa, for
bringing the partnership together.
The programme aligns with
Kenya’s broader digital development framework, guided by the Digital Master
Plan 2022–2032, the Cloud Policy and the Kenya AI Strategy 2025–2030. The AI
and Emerging Technologies Policy and the National Data Governance Policy are
also under development.
The initiative forms part of
efforts to strengthen collaboration between industry and academic institutions
and support the development of technology solutions with commercial potential
in Kenya’s digital economy.
