Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy John Tanui has called for closer cooperation between universities and technology companies to help turn students’ ideas into practical solutions and businesses.
Tanui said Kenya needed stronger links between academic institutions and industry players to give students access to mentorship, technical expertise and opportunities to take their innovations to market.
He spoke in Nairobi during the launch of a four-month innovation programme bringing together China Mobile International (CMI), the University of Nairobi and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
The programme is designed to challenge students to develop technology solutions to real-world problems, with a focus on innovations that can be developed further and used beyond the classroom.
The launch was attended by China Mobile International’s Regional Managing Director for Africa, Terry Leung, and his team, alongside Dr Lawrence Nderu, the founder and project lead of JHub Africa.
JHub Africa is working with the participating universities to connect students with industry-led innovation opportunities.
Under the programme, students will work in teams of five, with each team assigned a CMI sponsor to guide them throughout the four months. Final presentations are scheduled for February 27, 2027.
Participants will develop projects in areas such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, software engineering, the Internet of Things, data connectivity and big data analytics.
Other areas of focus include cybersecurity, blockchain, digital twins and 5G technology. Students will also be allowed to submit ideas in other technology fields under an open category.
Each team will be expected to produce a working prototype, submit a final report and make a 10-minute presentation explaining the problem their project seeks to address and how the proposed solution could be applied in practice.
The best-performing team will receive corporate development support from CMI to help move its innovation closer to market deployment.
Tanui also welcomed the programme’s emphasis on gender-balanced teams, saying inclusive participation was important in developing Kenya’s digital talent and expanding opportunities in the technology sector.
The partnership brings together CMI’s industry experience, JHub Africa’s innovation network and the academic expertise of the two universities.
The program is aimed at efforts by the government to boost digital skills and also promote the digital economy in Kenya through technology.
Students eligible for the program have been advised to register by November 2, 2026. The final presentations will be done on February 27, 2027.
