Submissions Are In at Safaricom Cannes Young Lions

A Quick Recap of the Weekend

On Saturday, February 7, teams gathered at the EABL Microbrewery in Ruaraka for a rigorous 24-hour creative sprint.

Participants at the Cannes Lion Competition//Brian Simiyu

Laptops, notebooks, and intense discussions filled the venue as participants worked to solve briefs from Safaricom and Tusker, aiming to create ideas that were not only innovative but also practical and brand-relevant.

8:50–9:30am: Briefing sessions kicked off, with Zizwe Awuor addressing Digital teams, Flavia Othim briefing Design participants, and Keza Mpyisi guiding the Film category.
10:00am: Teams entered production mode, developing concepts under strict time limits.
1:00–2:00pm: A short lunch break before returning to deep work.
2:00–6:00pm: Core creative sessions, refining ideas and preparing presentations.
6:00pm onwards: Remote work continued as participants polished submissions for Sunday’s deadline.

By the end of Saturday, all work was submitted to the official Cannes platform, bringing the creation phase to a close and shifting the spotlight to the judges.

Judgement Day Underway

With submissions in, Sunday, February 8, marks the start of presentations and scoring. Judging is taking place from 11:00am to 3:30pm, led by the category presidents:

Max Ngari – Digital
Maurice “Riz” Wangalachi – Design
Tosh Gitonga – Film

Each president is supported by their panel of industry experts, who will scrutinise entries for originality, relevance, clarity, and execution.

The aim is to select work that not only meets the brief but also has the potential to compete on a global stage at Cannes Lions 2026 in France.

Maurice “Riz” Wangalachi on What He’s Looking For

Leading the Design category, Wangalachi has been clear about his expectations:

"Creativity is not about flair for its own sake. We are looking for bold, fresh, and practical ideas — work that engages the brand, resonates with audiences, and ultimately drives business impact. Winning ideas must be beautiful, meaningful, and effective."

For Wangalachi, many briefs are real-world challenges, and submissions are judged on clarity, strategic thinking, and the ability to deliver tangible results.

His goal this year is “better of the same” — to push Kenyan creatives to deliver work that is globally competitive.

What Comes Next

After the judging concludes, the competition will close with an awards ceremony between 4:00pm and 5:30pm, where the winning teams will be announced.

These teams will represent Kenya at the global Cannes Young Lions competition, showcasing the country’s creative talent on the world stage.

For the participants, this is the moment their ideas are fully tested.

All submissions are now in, and the judges’ deliberations will determine who rises to the challenge and earns the honour of carrying Kenya’s flag to Cannes.