NIRU AI Hackathon 2025 Champions Set to Scale AI Solutions for Kenya’s Job Market and Economic Growth
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 1 – In a landmark achievement innovation, The National Intelligence Research University (NIRU) has crowned Caroline Gakii, Daniel Maitethia and Ezekiel Otieno of Meru University of Science and Technology as the overall winners of its 2025 National AI Hackathon, spotlighting a new generation of Kenyan innovators developing practical and scalable solutions to address the country’s most pressing challenges.
The team led by Daniel Maitethia clinched the top prize for their project, “A Low-Cost AI-Powered Digital Microscope for Accessible Cancer and Malaria Diagnosis in Kenya,” earning KSh 2 million during the final showcase and awards ceremony held in Nairobi.
Strathmore’s Joshua Radula emerged as the first runner-up with his “Word 2 Sign” project, an AI-powered solution that translates spoken or written words into sign language to improve accessibility for the deaf community, taking home KSh 750,000.
Kelvin Mulama secured third place with “Veritas AI, Autonomous Intelligence for Financial Fraud Detection and National Financial Integrity,” earning KSh 500,000 for his solution focused on strengthening financial systems and combating fraud.
The hackathon drew over 5,600 registrations and generated more than 2,500 AI solution submissions from across the country, underscoring the growing depth of Kenya’s digital talent and innovation ecosystem.
NIRU Vice Chancellor Dr. James Kibon while speaking during the award ceremon said the initiative is designed to move innovation beyond ideas into real-world application.
“What we are building is not just a competition, but a pipeline of deployable AI solutions, the quality of innovations we have seen demonstrates Kenya’s capacity to develop technologies that directly address our national priorities, from security and agriculture to public service delivery”, said Mr. Kibon.
The programme, delivered in collaboration with partners across government, academia, and industry, guided selected innovators through a structured incubation process.
Participants received technical mentorship, product development support, ethical AI guidance and commercialisation insights, enabling their solutions to evolve from concept to deployment-ready products.
Nordin Hajji, Chairman of the NIRU Board of Trustees and Director General of the National Intelligence Service, said the initiative is part of a broader national effort to strengthen Kenya’s technological self-reliance.
“By nurturing AI innovation locally, we are building the capacity to develop solutions that respond to our socio-economic realities while strengthening national security and economic resilience.”
Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen on his part lauded the innovators, noting that their work reflects the country’s growing leadership in digital transformation.
“The diversity and quality of solutions presented here demonstrate that Kenya has the talent and creativity to compete globally, these innovations have the potential not only to solve local challenges, but also to create jobs and drive economic growth”, said CS Murkomen.
The winning solutions were selected through a rigorous evaluation process based on national relevance, scalability, technical feasibility, originality and measurable impact.
Additionally ,Innovations showcased during the hackathon spanned key sectors including security and intelligence, agriculture, cybersecurity, public service delivery, and digital infrastructure, highlighting the increasing role of Artificial Intelligence as a driver of national development.
Ali Hussein Kassim, the Chief Judge of the Hackathon stated that the winning solutions were recognised for their industry readiness and potential for real-world deployment across key sectors including security, intelligence, agriculture, public service delivery, cybersecurity and digital transformation.
Beyond the competition, the hackathon is a critical bridge between digital talent and industry, ensuring that promising ideas are supported to scale into sustainable, real-world solutions.
