Nairobi: Kenya has achieved an unprecedented milestone at the Huawei ICT Competition 2024/2025 finals, with its student teams securing top global honors in both the Computing and Innovation categories.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Computing track saw Team Kenya claim first prize, spearheaded by the remarkable performances of Esther Guichaiya and Ephraim Shikanga from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), alongside Mark Omaiko and Ian Omwenga from Machakos University. The team's journey to the global stage was highly competitive, having been selected from more than 6,000 Kenyan students who registered for the competition, with only a dozen reaching the finals.
Participants in the Programming Competition explored Open Harmony IoT application development during a comprehensive 6-hour lab session, with the evaluation heavily weighing both the quality of the code produced and the effectiveness of its implementation. A commendable third prize went to Kenya's team in the innovation category. This talented group included Karimi Muriithi, Denis Syengo, and Peterson Kariuki of Egerton University, with invaluable mentorship from instructor Patricia Gitonga at the University of Nairobi.
In the Innovation Competition, students must deliver in-person presentations, demonstrating their ability to utilize AI and other technology for innovative, real-world solutions. The Kenyan project was a testament to their creativity, analytics, and tangible real-world application, which further strengthened the nation's standing in global tech.
For its ninth edition, the Huawei ICT Competition engaged a vast international audience, comprising over 210,000 students and teachers from more than 2,000 universities across 48 countries and regions. Guided by the theme 'Connection, Glory and Future,' the initiative serves to advance digital proficiencies, foster innovative approaches, and reinforce collaboration between higher education and the ICT industry.
Youth and Creative Economy Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs, alongside Kenya's Ambassador to China, Willy Bett, headed the Kenyan delegation to Shenzhen, with their attendance affirming the government's steadfast commitment to cultivating youth talent and promoting global cooperation within the digital economy.
The Huawei ICT Competition holds significant global recognition, notably endorsed by UNESCO's Global Skills Academy as a flagship initiative for youth upskilling. As an annual flagship event for colleges and universities worldwide, it has expanded considerably in influence since its launch in 2015. The competition's reach is extensive, having attracted over 960,000 students and educators from more than 2,000 colleges and universities in over 100 countries and regions since its inception.