Kenyan students win silver in Huawei’s Sub-Saharan Africa ICT competition

One of the two Kenyan teams which participated in this year’s Sub-Saharan Africa Huawei ICT Competition regional finals achieved second place tied with Angola, while Nigeria and Tanzania tied in first place. Students from over 100 universities in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Angola, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana and Mauritius participated in the competition.

The Kenyan team, which is composed of five male students and one female student, participated in the regional finals after qualifying from the national level last September. The regional finals, which were held at Huawei’s regional headquarters in Woodmead, Johannesburg saw 42 students in 14 teams sit theoretical and practical examinations. These teams are believed to be amongst the brightest technology students in the country. The competition covered the latest ICT technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, mobile networks and big data.

As second prize winners, the Kenyan team, which is comprised of Richard Wanjohi, Maraguri Mwai and Zipporah Wachira, will travel to Shenzhen, China on May 24-27 to compete in the global finals as one of 40 teams from around the world. During the global final, students will be able to experience and share the latest information on technology and industry trends, whilst also gaining theoretical and practical insights.

Su Shuqi, Head of ICT Academy at Huawei Technologies Kenya Limited, said that she was proud of the performance of the Kenyan team. ‘The Kenyan Team took Huawei Certified ICT Professional course and had an intense 10-day training before departure to Johannesburg. We are very proud of team Kenya.” Su remains optimistic on the performance of the Kenyan team in the global finals and is eager for the competitions. She emphasized that training would become even more intense as the competition will get even stiffer.

“Huawei understands the value of a good talent ecosystem which is the foundation of a smart future. This ICT Competition is part of our innovative initiative to support that and promote ICT skills. We believe that this event will inspire more students in Africa to develop an interest in ICT by providing a world-class stage to showcase and consolidate the vital ICT resources necessary for Africa’s development” said Mr. Xue Man, Vice President of Huawei, at the regional award ceremony held on March 10.

Alfred Cheruiyot, Principal Secretary for Post-Training and Skills Development in the ministry of Education in Kenya, praised Huawei’s efforts in upskilling the youth in ICT through partnering with national governments and local tertiary institutions. “This ICT Competition is a good platform for ICT students to develop their careers and become successful entrepreneurs. This will in turn improve our economy for years to come if done right,” Cheruiyot said.

Read: Radio Africa shuts down XFM, to launch new station 

Zipporah Wachira, the only Kenyan female ICT student said: “As one of the winners of the Huawei ICT competition 2018-2019, I would recommend this program to anyone who has interest in the field of networking or any other computer related field. I am a testimony, the journey is amazing, and you are assured of a world class ICT experience.”