Kenyan university students win top global award at Huawei ICT competition in China

Kenya has secured its biggest-ever victory at the Huawei ICT Competition after a team of four university students won the Grand Prize at the Huawei ICT Competition 2025–2026 Global Finals held in Shenzhen, China.

The achievement marks the first time Kenya has won the competition's highest award since the global contest was launched a decade ago, underscoring the country's growing reputation in digital innovation and technology talent development.

The winning team comprised Kevin Tuei from Tharaka University, Catherine Atieno from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Brian Ngugi Kamau from Mt. Kenya University, and Salem Kim from Machakos University.

The Huawei ICT Competition 2025–2026 attracted more than 220,000 participants from universities and colleges around the world.

Following national and regional elimination rounds, only top-performing teams advanced to the global finals.

A total of 131 elite teams from more than 40 countries and regions converged in Shenzhen to compete in various fields including cloud computing, networking, artificial intelligence, computing and other emerging digital technologies.

Team Kenya emerged as the overall Grand Prize winner after impressing judges with its technical expertise, innovation, teamwork and problem-solving capabilities in the highly competitive international contest.

The victory places Kenya among the leading countries in global ICT talent development and highlights the increasing competitiveness of Kenyan students in emerging technologies.

Huawei said the competition is designed to provide students and educators with an international platform to strengthen ICT knowledge, improve practical skills and promote innovation through the use of modern technologies.

The annual competition, launched in 2015, has continued to grow in scale and influence. This year's edition attracted participants from more than 100 countries and regions, involving over 2,000 colleges and universities and more than 220,000 students and teachers.

The global finals were held from June 2 to June 5 in Shenzhen, culminating in an awards ceremony held alongside the AI Accelerating Education Transformation Summit.

The win is expected to boost Kenya's standing as a regional technology hub and inspire more young people to pursue careers in information and communication technology, innovation and digital transformation.

Huawei has said it remains committed to developing ICT professionals for the artificial intelligence era through partnerships with universities, educators and governments, with a focus on equipping students with skills needed for the future digital economy.