Three TVET students to represent Kenya at Huawei ICT regional finals

Three students from the Technical and Vocational Education and Training sector have qualified to represent Kenya at the regional finals of the 10th Huawei ICT Competition 2025–2026, a contest that pits them against top technology talent from 16 Sub-Saharan African countries.

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Lucy Gathu, Steve Mutisya and Erick Nzai will fly the country’s flag at the regional stage alongside their trainer Phillip Ochola after undergoing more than two months of intensive preparation at Huawei Kenya headquarters under the Huawei ICT Academy programme.

The trio secured their place in the continental contest following a rigorous training and evaluation process that tested both technical competence and endurance.

“The team has demonstrated exceptional commitment, earning professional certifications and preparing to compete at a highly demanding international platform,” Technical and Vocational Education and Training Principal Secretary Esther Muoria said after meeting the team and representatives from Huawei Technologies Kenya at PC Kinyanjui Technical Training Institute

The Huawei ICT Competition 2025–2026 cycle began last year with the registration and learning phase running between September and December 2025.

National finals were held in January 2026, with other regions completing their contests in early February.

The regional finals are scheduled to begin from March 5. Ahead of the contest, selected participants have been undergoing specialised training in Nairobi as part of the regional final bootcamp programme that began on January 28, 2026.

The programme brought together 21 top students drawn from more than 3,000 applicants across the country. The bootcamp is designed as an intensive course aimed at testing the cumulative knowledge, physical stamina and mental endurance of participants as they prepare for the next stage of the competition.

The Huawei ICT Competition focuses on advanced digital skills including artificial intelligence, cloud computing and networking, and targets students from colleges and universities worldwide.

This year’s edition has introduced several changes to the competition format. Organisers removed the written examination at the regional finals stage, while the cloud track will now focus only on Cloud and Artificial Intelligence after Big Data was dropped.

Winners from the regional round will advance to the global finals scheduled to take place in Shenzhen, China, in May/June 2026.

Muoria said the qualification of the three TVET students marks a significant moment for the vocational training sector, noting that the global ICT competition space has historically been dominated by university teams.

“It is therefore a proud moment to witness a maiden team from the TVET sector stepping onto this regional stage and showcasing the depth of technical talent being nurtured within our institutions,” she said.

According to the PS, the achievement demonstrates that industry-aligned training in technical institutions is producing professionals capable of competing globally and contributing to the country’s digital transformation agenda.

She wished the students success as they carry the Kenyan flag and the pride of the TVET fraternity to the regional competition.

Kenya has previously posted strong performances in the Huawei ICT Competition. At the ninth edition of the global finals held in May 2025, Kenyan teams recorded a historic showing by winning top honours in both the Computing and Innovation categories.

That year, the national team was selected from more than 6,000 students who had registered for the competition, with only 12 making it to the global stage.

Kenya clinched first prize in the Computing track through the efforts of Esther Gichaiya and Ephraim Shikanga from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology together with Mark Omaiko and Ian Omwenga from Machakos University.

In the Innovation category, Karimi Muriithi, Denis Syengo and Peterson Kariuki from Egerton University emerged winners under the guidance of instructor Patricia Gitonga from the University of Nairobi.

Kenyan students also excelled in other tracks. In the highly competitive Cloud category, an all-female team comprising Ifrah Hussein and Beverly Ndombi from Moi University alongside Banzy from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology secured second place.

The Network track also produced a second-place finish through a joint university team made up of Rukia Mwari Mohammed of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Brian Kipkoech from Machakos University and Odanga Clemet from the University of Nairobi.

Egerton University’s “Silicon Savannah” team also secured third place in the Innovation track, further cementing Kenya’s growing reputation in the global technology competition arena.