Four students from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) are set to travel to Shenzhen, China, to compete in this year’s Global Huawei ICT Competition finals scheduled for June 2–5, 2026.
The students were today Monday, May 25, 2026, flagged off by the University Management Board led by Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi, ahead of their departure for the global, where they will compete against top university teams from across the world.
The JKUAT team comprises Catherine Atieno, Melane Minayo, Faith Chepkoech, and Joan Kinoti, all pursuing Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.
The four earned their place at the global stage after progressing through a highly competitive process that began at the national qualifiers and advanced through the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Finals held in March 2026.
At the regional level, JKUAT fielded five teams competing across the Network, Cloud, Computing, and Innovation Tracks, further cementing its growing reputation in ICT training and innovation.
The Huawei ICT Competition remains one of the world’s largest ICT talent development platforms, attracting more than 210,000 students from over 100 countries in the 2025–2026 edition alone. In Sub-Saharan Africa, over 12,000 students from 25 countries participated, with only top-performing teams advancing to the regional finals and subsequently to the global stage.
The students’ success has been attributed to rigorous mentorship and technical preparation from trainers including Ms. Wairimu Gichaiya and Mr. Phillip Oyier, who have guided them through advanced training, simulations, and competition readiness programs.
Expressing her support during the flag-off ceremony, Vice Chancellor Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi congratulated the students for their achievement and urged them to uphold excellence as they represent the institution on the global stage.
She noted that the students carry the responsibility of representing not only the university, but also the country, in a highly competitive international technology environment.
“You are going to represent JKUAT and Kenya at a global level. Go and give your best, remain disciplined, focused, and confident. The world will be watching, and you have a chance to demonstrate the strength of Kenyan innovation,” she said.
The Huawei ICT Competition brings together university students from Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, providing a platform for practical ICT skills demonstration, innovation exchange, and global exposure.
