Douglas Maina, Founder of Eldoret City Innovation Week, speaking during a stakeholders' breakfast meeting in Eldoret
More than 2,500 young people from the North Rift region are expected to participate in the fourth Eldoret City Innovation Week as organisers seek to promote technology, enterprise and innovation as drivers of inclusive economic growth.
The event, to be held at Zion Mall, will bring together universities, TVET institutions, researchers, entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, development partners, county and national government officials and industry players.
Speaking during a media breakfast ahead of the launch, organising committee chairperson Douglas Maina said the week will provide an opportunity for young people to showcase their innovations and connect with potential partners and investors.
“The Innovation Week has grown steadily since its founding to become one of the region's most anticipated platforms for enterprise, technology and youth development,” Maina said.
Maina, who founded the initiative, said the event had created a platform for young innovators to access support and opportunities to develop their ideas.
“Every year, the Eldoret City Innovation Week has grown from a conversation into a movement,” he said.
This year's event will be held under the theme, “Innovating the North Rift: Driving Inclusive Growth Through Technology, Enterprise & Sustainability.”
Maina said organisers were seeking to bring together young people, investors, government and other partners to support the development of new businesses and jobs in the region.
“We are deliberately widening the table — for young people, investors, county and national governments, and for every partner who believes that the North Rift's next generation of jobs and businesses will be built right here at home,” he said.
A new feature this year will be the Youth Dome, a dedicated space for the creative economy, youth talent and mentorship.
The organisers said the initiative would be central to their target of directly reaching and engaging more than 2,500 young people from the region.
The Youth Dome will host mentorship sessions, skills masterclasses, career and enterprise clinics, as well as talent and pitch showcases. The sessions are expected to connect young people with practical skills, mentors and opportunities within the region's innovation ecosystem.
Maina said the event will also feature speakers and participants from the technology, agriculture, health, finance, education and public service sectors.
The organisers said the wider programme would provide a platform for innovators and entrepreneurs to showcase their work while creating opportunities for collaboration between the private sector, government and young people.
The fourth edition will climax on October 9, with Secretary for ICT, E-Government and the Digital Economy Mary Kerema expected to attend as chief guest.
Maina urged partners and members of the public to support the initiative and help expand its reach among young people across the region.
“We are not asking partners and the public to only attend — we are asking them to help us multiply this reach,” he said.
