Young innovators are increasingly positioning the country and the continent as a hub of creativity, technology and problem-solving after emerging among the best in global student innovation competitions.
Kenyan students from various universities, including Mount Kenya University (MKU), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and Machakos University, recently earned international recognition after developing solutions aimed at addressing real-world challenges, ranging from environmental pollution to digital transformation.
One of the standout innovations is the EcoScrubber, developed by a team of four MKU students namely Wesley Njenga, Franklin Mwendwa, Elijah Maina and Ejike Chinyere from the School of Public Health.
The innovation is a hybrid emission control and carbon-capture system that converts toxic pollutants from incinerator chimneys into useful construction materials.
The team emerged as finalists in the Wege Prize 2026 competition held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, where they competed against 87 teams from more than 30 countries representing nearly 200 academic disciplines.
The competition, organised by Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design, challenges students globally to develop solutions based on circular economy principles.
Team lead Wesley Njenga said the global recognition demonstrated the potential of home-grown innovations to solve international challenges.
“We were honoured to showcase home-grown solutions like EcoScrubber, as well as compete with the best in the world,” Njenga said.
The team’s innovation was inspired by an encounter in Thika where they witnessed a truck releasing heavy smoke, raising concerns about air pollution. The experience motivated them to explore ways of capturing harmful emissions and transforming them into valuable products.
Other young innovators also recorded a major milestone at the Huawei ICT Competition Global Finals held in Shenzhen, China, where a Kenyan team featuring MKU student Brian Ngugi, alongside Catherine Atieno of JKUAT and Salim Kim of Machakos University, won the grand prize after emerging the best among more than 220,000 participants worldwide.
The competition tested participants’ expertise in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, networking and 5G technologies.
Ngugi described the achievement as a result of persistence and continuous learning, encouraging students to take advantage of innovation opportunities.
“It’s a big achievement. It opens doors for internships,” he said, urging learners to keep trying because “the world is full of opportunities”.
MKU Head of Innovations, Intellectual Property and Community Engagement, Donatus Njoroge, said the institution is committed to supporting students in transforming ideas into commercial products.
“We are proud of their progress so far and we will continue to offer technical support and global exposure on their path to commercialisation,” Njoroge said.
He called for increased investment in innovation, saying young people have the capacity to create jobs through research and technology.
By Muoki Charles
