Huawei rewards Kenyan students for winning digital contest

NAIROBI, KENYA | Xinhua | Chinese technology giant Huawei rewarded 18 Kenyan students on Friday after they emerged winners of the Huawei ICT Competition 2023-2024.

The Huawei ICT Competition, initiated in 2015, comprises contests in the fields of cloud computing, networking, and innovation as part of a cooperative effort to enrich Kenya’s ICT (information and communications technology) talent pool through the transfer of the latest knowledge in the technology sector.

Ezekiel Machogu, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Education, said the competition recognizes some of the best ICT talents in the country by rewarding the winners.

“This is a noble initiative that brings the latest curriculum and knowledge to our students and also gives them opportunities to gain more international exposure and internships,” Machogu said during a ceremony in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, attended by top government officials.

He commended Huawei for initiating the digital competition, which this year attracted 5,800 Kenyans from more than 40 universities across the country.

Gavin Gao, chief executive officer of Huawei Kenya, said the ICT competition will enable young people to build their digital skills and promote innovation.

“We all need to continue this important work to ensure that we create value from the digital superhighway, paving the path for youth around the country to have a brighter future,” Gao added.

Luis Kinyua, the top student in the competition, thanked the Huawei instructors and university lecturers for making the competition possible, saying the competition helped the students embrace the important field of ICT and served as a stepping stone for students interested in becoming network and cloud experts, as Huawei has updated its course materials with the latest trends in technology. ■