Three students from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) have secured a place on the global stage, preparing to compete in the prestigious Huawei ICT Competition finals set to take place in Shenzhen, China, from May 18 to 25.
The trio—Rukia Mwari Mohammed, Ephraim Shikanga, and Banzy Nyaga—will represent Kenya across three specialized tracks: Network, Computing, and Cloud, respectively. Their selection follows a rigorous national and regional vetting process that evaluated both technical skills and problem-solving abilities in real-world ICT scenarios.
Ephraim Shikanga, a third-year Computer Science student, will compete in the Computing Track. He attributes his readiness to the intensive mentorship offered by the Huawei ICT Academy, which, he says, significantly sharpened his expertise in programming, database management, and systems architecture.
“This opportunity is a major milestone in my career,” said Shikanga. “The practical training has been transformative, not just academically, but professionally.”
Rukia Mwari Mohammed, a fourth-year student in Telecommunication and Information Engineering, will represent Kenya in the Network Track. Her journey to this point has been marked by perseverance. After failing to qualify for the regional finals in 2023, she dedicated an entire year to focused technical training, particularly in hands-on labs. Her return this year underscores both personal resilience and the growing capacity of African students to compete globally when given structured support.
In the Cloud Track, Banzy Nyaga, also a third-year Computer Science student, emerged as Kenya’s top performer. She cited the certifications and practical exposure in AI, Big Data, and cloud technologies as key to her success.
“The competition has accelerated my development and given me international exposure. Representing Kenya is a profound honor,” said Nyaga.
Their achievement has been bolstered by mentorship and a structured training environment provided by JKUAT’s Huawei ICT Academy. Mentor Phillip Oyier commended the students for their discipline and commitment, noting that they have been in intense preparation since January.
“Such achievements are not accidental,” said Oyier. “They are the result of a sustained academic ecosystem combined with practical, real-world challenges. These students are ready for the global stage.”
Oyier also emphasized the strategic role the Huawei ICT Academy continues to play in enhancing the university’s global competitiveness in technology, stressing that the ongoing success of its students at international forums reflects JKUAT’s institutional commitment to excellence.
The annual Huawei ICT Competition, which brings together top-tier university students from across the world, offers not just recognition, but also industry-level exposure to the latest advancements in ICT. For Kenya, and by extension Africa, this participation is a strong signal of the continent’s emerging human capital in digital technologies.
