Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) hosted the International Kids’ Conference, bringing together secondary school learners from Kenya and across the world to showcase innovative projects and share ideas across diverse fields of study.
Held on Friday, July 10, 2026, the conference was organized by the College of Engineering and Technology (COETEC) to provide a platform for learners to present their projects, concepts, and knowledge while promoting student voice, creativity, and self-efficacy in learning.
Supported by the Australian Globally Engaged Learners Programme, an initiative of the Victorian Government’s Department of Education, the conference enables students from across Africa and other parts of the world to participate both physically and virtually, fostering global collaboration, knowledge exchange, and student-led learning.
The 2026 conference attracted participation from 13 high schools, with five schools attending and presenting their projects in person. Students from Australia, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Egypt also showcased their projects virtually, underscoring the conference’s growing international reach and commitment to collaborative learning.
The students presented a wide range of innovations addressing contemporary societal challenges. Their projects focused on areas such as water conservation, election technology, financial literacy, international relations, food safety, mental health, and innovative applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in geohazard monitoring and education.
Among the standout innovations was a project by Kabare Girls High School, which presented a prototype robotic wheelchair designed to enhance mobility and independence for wheelchair users while easing the burden on caregivers.
Welcoming the students, COETEC Principal, Prof. Eng. Hiram Nderitu, underscored the importance of innovation and cultivating problem-solving skills among young learners as a foundation for addressing societal challenges.
“The students will lead in developing tomorrow’s solutions. This conference shows that there is no age limit to innovation. We must continue supporting young innovators from training through to commercialization, as this will contribute to job creation and national development,” said Prof. Nderitu.
Chair and founder of the Kids’ Conference, Dr. Stephen Spain, reaffirmed that the initiative is designed to nurture innovation from an early age by empowering learners to undertake student-led research.
“Our aim with Kids’ Conference Africa is to build capacity for student-led research. We hope these students can apply the knowledge they acquire in class to develop meaningful projects that benefit themselves and their communities. We also seek to support learners across all fields, from STEM to the arts,” said Dr. Spain.
Echoing the call to nurture young innovators, Ms. Betty Gakii, a teacher at Mary Hill Girls High School, lauded the government’s implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) for fostering innovation from an early age. She urged greater support from partners and stakeholders to ensure promising student innovations are nurtured, tracked, and adopted for the country’s benefit.
Reflecting on the impact of the conference, Precious Njeri, a student at Mary Hill Girls High School, said the presentations inspired learners to harness technology and innovation to solve real-world challenges. She particularly commended Kabare Girls High School’s prototype robotic wheelchair for its potential to improve the lives of persons’ with disabilities.
The conference marked JKUAT’s second consecutive time hosting the Kids’ Conference Africa initiative, reaffirming the University’s commitment to nurturing young innovators and advancing student-led research and innovation.
