AI Hackathon in Kenya Sparks Student Innovation in Farming, Finance, and Health
Qhala, Huawei, and Konza Technopolis joined forces this week to host a 24-hour AI hackathon, challenging students from across Africa to develop real-world solutions through artificial intelligence.
The event was part of Africa AI Literacy Week and brought together 50 university students, including an in-person team and a virtual group from Moi University. Participants worked in themed tracks agriculture, fintech, healthcare, education, and governance focused on solving urgent local problems.
The hackathon spotlighted agriculture, a key sector for Africa’s economy. Students were tasked with creating tools that could support farmers, improve yields, and address food insecurity.
The winning team developed a platform that predicts market prices for agricultural products. By combining historical data, real-time price trends, and weather forecasts, the tool helps farmers and traders plan sales, reduce exploitation, and improve earnings.
Two teams tied for second place. One built a farm data system that collects and analyzes agricultural activity, supported by an AI chatbot that answers farmer queries in local languages even offline. The other created a mobile application that uses AI and Augmented Reality to scan structures and provide details on condition and use. The team showed how the app could help assess agricultural storage and irrigation systems.
Top performers received Huawei MatePad tablets and Band 10 smartwatches to continue developing their solutions.
Josephine Ndambuki from Konza Technopolis said the hackathon aligned with the country’s long-term vision to grow local AI talent. “Artificial intelligence is key to Africa’s next phase of growth. Konza is committed to building a space where innovation leads,” she said during the closing session.
Dr. Shikoh Gitau of Qhala told participants, “Africa cannot afford to be left behind. Our young people understand these problems best and must lead in building the solutions.”
Adam Lane from Huawei Kenya noted that the company remains focused on expanding access to AI tools. “We are proud to offer our cloud platforms, skills, and partnerships to help African developers build solutions that matter,” he said.
Participants also proposed tools to track farm input distribution, enhance education with AI-driven engagement, and create digital banking tools for underserved communities.
Organizers plan to scale future editions to include more institutions and widen the range of challenges.
This year’s hackathon showed that Africa’s youth are not just learning about AI they’re applying it to reshape their communities. The event marked a step toward building digital solutions grounded in local needs and powered by homegrown talent.
