Built in Kenya, Aimed at Cannes: Meet Some of the Brilliant Safaricom Young Lions Contestants

The 2026 Cannes Young Lions Kenya competition has reached a pivotal stage, with submissions now in and the judges ready to assess the nation’s top creative talent.

But before the final decisions are made, the spotlight belongs to the contestants themselves—Kenya’s rising stars in digital, design, and film, who have spent the past weekend pushing their creativity to the limit.

“Not Final”: Building a Digital Powerhouse

In the digital category, the team “Not Final”, comprising Sam Kawenzi and Maria Muchiri, has been turning heads.

Their partnership blends Sam’s CGI expertise with Maria’s animation and motion design skills, a combination they liken to “the architect and the engineer.”

Sam maps out the initial creative vision, while Maria structures and executes the concepts, producing polished campaigns that reflect both imagination and discipline.

For the duo, Young Lions is more than a competition—it is a global stage. Maria sees it as a chance to showcase her talent internationally, while Sam aims to elevate CGI in Kenya’s advertising space.

Despite the pressure, the pair maintains focus through research and resilience. When creative blocks arise, Maria steps out for walks or listens to music, while Sam uses noise-cancelling headphones to regain focus.

With sights set firmly on France, their message to fellow competitors is simple: “See you there and good luck.”

Duncan Lubanga and David Odipo: Campus Friends Turned Digital Contenders

Another digital duo, Duncan Lubanga and David Odipo, has brought strategy and vision to the table. Their partnership stretches back to campus, and now they channel that longstanding rapport into professional excellence.

Being selected from hundreds of applicants was a validation of their skills, David recalls: receiving the confirmation email was “crazy,” a powerful affirmation of their creative potential.

Facing the intense 24-hour brief, the pair relies on simplicity as a guiding principle. Duncan generates bold, visually striking ideas, while David ensures that strategy aligns with execution.

Their combined approach balances creativity with practical problem-solving, keeping the team confident as they aim to bring gold back to Kenya.

Team Lucent: Redefining Kenyan Film

In the film category, Team Lucent, composed of Kige and Kirit Ranira, is working to showcase Kenyan cinema in a new light.

Long-time friends who met during their campus years, they have honed their professional chemistry across multiple collaborative projects.

For Kige, Young Lions offers an opportunity to share a side of Kenyan filmmaking that is largely unseen internationally.

Kirit’s focus is on crafting seamless narratives that engage audiences emotionally in under 60 seconds—a tight deadline that tests storytelling, editing, and conceptual clarity.

When the pressure peaks, the duo has distinct methods to reset: Kige finds inspiration on late-night rooftops, watching the city and letting ideas crystallise, while Kirit draws on his surroundings to overcome creative blocks.

Both credit sponsors like Safaricom and Tusker for providing visibility and a platform that propels local creatives toward global stages.

Judges’ Insights: Evaluating Kenya’s Best

With the contestants’ creativity on full display, the focus now shifts to the jury panels. Leading the Digital category is Max Ngari, Executive Creative Director at Dentsu Creative Kenya, serving as Digital Jury President.

Max describes his role not as a strict arbiter, but as a “shepherd,” guiding discussions and ensuring the jury identifies the strongest work.

“The idea is King,” Max stresses. For this year’s Safaricom brief, judges seek innovation, surprise, and real-world solutions.

He encourages contestants to fall in love with the problem, digging into research, talking to consumers, and understanding the challenges they are solving.

In Design, Maurice “Riz” Wangalachi, veteran creative director at Ogilvy Africa and DigiTribe, presides over the jury.

Riz underscores that winning ideas must be bold, fresh, and practical, engaging the brand, resonating with audiences, and ultimately driving business impact.

Reflecting on last year’s competition, he notes that Kenyan creativity already sets a high baseline, but the goal this year is “better of the same”—pushing teams to produce work capable of competing internationally.

In Film, Tosh Gitonga leads the jury, emphasising storytelling, emotional engagement, and technical excellence as critical criteria for success.