Kenya has reaffirmed its digital prowess by bagging four top prizes at the
Huawei Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Competition Global Final
2024–2025 held in Shenzhen, China.
The awards, which showcased the country’s
growing strength in ICT education and innovation, were won by 12 public
university students who competed against some of the most talented learners
from around the world.
Huawei Kenya Deputy Chief Executive Officer Stephen Zhang said the competition offered students a platform to showcase their skills in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, and Networking.
He noted that Kenyan students have consistently excelled on the global stage,
and the latest wins are proof of the country’s readiness to lead and compete in
the international digital space.
Among the awards secured during the global
finals was a first prize in the Computing Track by a team made up of students
from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and
Machakos University.
Another combined team from Machakos
University, JKUAT, and the University of Nairobi won second place in the
Network Track.
A joint team from JKUAT and Moi University took second place in the Cloud
Track category, while the Silicon Savannah team from Egerton University walked
away with third place in the Innovation Track.
Zhang explained that Kenya’s participation in
the competition was part of a broader national strategy to strengthen digital
skills and close the gap between academia and the job market.
Speaking at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi, where National Assembly Speaker
Moses Wetang’ula hosted the winning team, Zhang stressed that digital
transformation is rapidly reshaping industries across the world.
He pointed out that the biggest challenge amid
this shift is the shortage of skilled ICT professionals. He said initiatives
like the global competition and the Huawei ICT Academy are helping to empower
the next generation of innovators, ensuring that talent development keeps pace
with technological advancement.
Zhang also revealed that Kenya had fielded an all-girls team in China this year—a significant step forward in promoting gender inclusion in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Speaker Wetang’ula led a recognition ceremony
organised by Huawei Kenya in collaboration with public universities and
government partners to honour the 12 students for their exemplary performance
on the global stage.
He congratulated the learners and urged them to keep striving for excellence
in ICT and to use their skills to develop solutions that can make a real impact
both in Kenya and globally.
“Keep on pushing forward and leverage emerging
fields to create practical solutions for Kenya and the world,” Wetang’ula
advised.
One of the winners, Mark Omaiko, a second-year student of Cloud Computing and Information Security at Machakos University, said the entire team was proud to have placed Kenya on the global map as an ICT powerhouse. He encouraged other students to take advantage of similar programs to test their skills, gain international exposure, and proudly represent the country.
