He noted that one of the establishments includes an incubation hub at Eastlands Library in Maringo Hamza Ward in Makadara supporting over 20 startups on investor readiness and coding for kids aged 7-13 years.
Njoroge added that ICT makes a difference in every other priority sector in which people hope to see change in.
“If ICT works then our revenue collection, our health and education will follow. Anyone interested in making government work for the people of Nairobi needs to pay attention to ICT and innovation,” he said.
“If you look at the last Economic survey, ICT accounted for more than Sh 500 billion of value and that will only grow with time.”
“ICT innovation creates jobs and tech advancements. We already have one of the continent's best innovation ecosystems pulling in investments and expertise from around the world.”
He added that it does not just create jobs but also creates the innovations that have changed our lives in the last decade or so.
Mama Pesa co-founder's reactions after winning were nothing short of joy and anticipation.
Juliet Wanjiru said the competition was quite stiff and added that she was amazed by how innovative young people were.
“I am excited and scared at the same time because more is expected from us moving forward. It was not a sure bet but we put our best foot forward and hoped for the best,” she said.
Wanjiru added that some of the challenges they encountered with their innovation was stiff competition from M-kopa and other Kenyan creditors as well as persuading customers to join their platform.
“I am positive that with the sponsorship, these problems can be turned into opportunities for our business to grow,” she said.
Deaf Elimu Plus co-founder Hudson Asiema, who was among the selected winning startups, said that he is more than happy because they were selected so that they can complement other entrepreneurs.
“Now we get to work and make an impact on society by breaking barriers across the continent,” he said.
The Mozilla Africa Mradi Innovation Challenge was launched in Nairobi in May 2023 with a call to tech innovators in Africa to develop creative solutions for unique African needs.
“From 2015 Mozilla has distributed over $20 million (sh2.81 billion) through fellowships and awards to support individual and collective actions that nurture unique innovations that benefit communities,” Mozilla Corporation CEO and Chairwoman Mitchell Baker said.
The 2022 Kenya Start-Up Ecosystem report by Disrupt Africa identified 308 active tech start-ups in Kenya, employing over 11,000 Kenyans.
The report further shows that only 50% of these start-ups, the majority of which are Fintech start-ups, have undergone some form of acceleration or incubation.
African Telecommunication Union (ATU) secretary general John Omo noted advancing Africa’s digital economy is key.
“We work to create harmonized digital economies through standardized policy and regulatory frameworks for the African Region,” he said.
The Digital Economy Blueprint indicates that Kenya is a regional leader in access to digital
infrastructure. It is estimated that 55% of jobs in Kenya will rely on digital skills by 2030.
