Eighteen University students will represent Kenya during the Global Huawei ICT Competition slated for next month in China.
The students will be led by Daniel Ochola, a Bachelor Science in Information technology at Mount Kenya University (MKU) Thika Campus.
The18 were picked to represent Kenya in May 2024 in the competition after they participated in the Southern Africa Regional Awards held on March 15, 2024.
The event was graced by Education Cabinet Secretary, Mr Ezekiel Machogu.
Ochola, a student at the MKU school of Computing and Informatics, emerged among the top three winners in the Southern Africa Regional Awards and was part of 6,000 students participating in the 2023/2024 competition.
During the competition where students from 15 countries showcased their innovations, Kenya produced 18 winners.
A total 21 Kenyan students were awarded out of 6,000 who entered the 2023-2024 Huawei ICT Competition during the award ceremony held in Nairobi.
The students also got cash prizes and Huawei products whilst other awards were given out for lecturers and women in technology whilst 21 students got internship and job offers.
Ochola says it began with curiosity and a drive towards evolving in the world of technology.
During the South African regional finals, the MKU innovators faced teams from across the Southern Africa Region.
“Our collective effort was rewarded with a second-place finish, just behind a formidable Nigerian team,” says Ochola.
MKU official Mr John Kamau, Ochola has remained a focused student and it’s his first time to participate in the high level competition.
“As MKU, we are proud to have produced a leading student to represent Kenya in the international arena,” said Kamau.
The Huawei ICT Competition was initiated in 2015 as part of the Huawei ICT Academy, in a collaborative effort to enrich the ICT talent pool by transferring the latest knowledge from a global technology leader.
According to Ochola, the announcement of a competition by the Huawei Talent ICT Academy, featuring tracks in cloud, computing, and networking, was a clarion call for him.
He says the journey has been demanding, commencing with enrollment and independent study, succeeded by a preliminary examination in November 2023.
Ochola said his win is a chronicle of determination, support and technological passion that has propelled him onto the international stage.
“It all began with a spark of curiosity and a drive to immerse myself in the ever-evolving world of technology,” he says.
“The cloud track, emphasizing cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data, aligned perfectly with my goal to pioneer technological advancements.
MKU has been more than an educational establishment to me; it has been a cradle for my dreams,” he says.
Ochola praises the university’s cutting-edge facilities and progressive stance on ICT education for furnishing the ideal environment for him to refine his skills and gear up for the contest.
The competition started with enrollment and independent studies, succeeded by a preliminary examination in November 2023.
“The national examination was a fierce contest, but with the wisdom and backing from my university, encapsulated in the motto “Unlocking Infinite Possibilities”, “I secured the second position among the select few chosen based on merit,” he said.
The Huawei academy representatives recognized the potential of the competitors and prepared them for the regional final examination in February 2024.
“Training at the Huawei office in Lavington for two months was an incredible experience, providing a glimpse into the professional world and allowing us to interact with industry experts,” he says.
In Kenya, Huawei has established ICT Academies in over 50 universities and colleges, providing access to cutting-edge technology training in networking, cloud computing, 5G, and AI. Annually, these academies train more than 4,000 students, contributing significantly to the ICT skills landscape.
The Huawei hardware installation base in Kenya has been recognized by the Ministry of ICT Innovation and Youth Affairs, playing a pivotal role in nurturing Kenya’s ICT talent pool and supporting national development initiatives.
Meanwhile, Kenyatta University (KU) has hosted a Clean Energy Bootcamp that brought together university students and members of staff from four to collaborate in workshops to further develop their Clean Energy innovations.
The forum brought together university students and members of staff from Uganda (Makerere University Business School), Kenya (KU and MKU), and Germany’s Albert-Ludwigs-Universität to collaborate in workshops to further develop their Clean Energy innovations.
According to Mr Donatus Njoroge, the Head of Innovation, Intellectual Property and community Outreach at MKU, during the Bootcamp held at Maasai Lodge in Nairobi, the innovators had the opportunity to further develop and sharpen their ideas in discussion with other innovators and entrepreneurs.
“The students were given opportunities to work creatively with interested business stakeholders,” he said.
He said the aim was to expose the students to real world parameters.
“We wanted to encourage and energize them so that they can meet their long-term goals by exposing them to the real world needs. We also let them pitch to the business community,” he added.
