JKUAT students earn spot in global ICT competition in China
HELLEN LUNALO-KNA
Three students from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agri culture and Technology (JKUAT) will represent Kenya at the Global Huawei Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Competition.
The international contest, featuring the world’s top technology talents, will take place in Shenzhen, China, from May 18 to 25.
In the competition, Rukia Mwari Moham med will compete in the Network Track, Ephraim Shikanga in the Com puting Track, and Banzy Nyaga in the Cloud Track.
Ephraim Shikanga, a third-year Computer Science student, views his participation as a significant milestone in his tech journey.
He credits intensive training with Huawei experts and hands-on experience in solving practical ICT challenges for enhancing his skills in programming, data base systems, and processor architecture.
On his part, fourth year Telecommunication and Information Engineering student, Rukia Mwari Mohamed’s, path to the global stage began in 2023 with a discouraging learning experience when she failed to advance to the regional finals of the competition.
However, her initial failure spurred a year of dedicated up-skilling, focusing on practical labs and enhancing her technical skills.
Banzy Nyaga, a third-year Computer Science student, highlighted the valuable hands-on experience and industry certifications she gained in Cloud, AI, and Big Data through the competition, with her dedication paying off when she se cured the top position in Kenya, specifically in the Cloud Track.
“The competition has been a significant step pingstone, providing invaluable exposure and recognition that has ac celerated my growth.
Representing Kenya on the global stage is an im mense honor, and I’m eager to face the chal lenges ahead,” she said.
The competitors’ journey has been sig nificantly shaped by the guidance of dedicated mentors who have pro vided crucial training and mentorship to the three students.
Phillip Oyier, one of their men tors, believes that the journey to excellence starts with classroom interactions crediting platforms like the JKUAT Huawei ICT Academy for providing the necessary environment required for the students to develop to their full potential.
“Since January, the students have demon strated unwavering dedication and rigor ous preparation for this competition. I am con f ident they will perform exceptionally well in Shenzhen,” he said.
Moreover, he recog nized the institution’s sustained success in the Huawei ICT Acad emy global competi tions, emphasizing that the achievements un derscored the university’s commitment to excellence adding that the competition pro vided invaluable practi cal experience and global recognition.