NIRU Launches AI Competition with Ksh2 Million Prize

The Government, through the National Intelligence and Research University (NIRU), has launched an incubation program for Kenyan artificial intelligence (AI) innovators.

This initiative aims to drive job creation, enhance security, and promote economic growth while fostering AI solutions that are relevant to the country.

The incubation program supports a selected group of innovators chosen from over 2,400 AI solution proposals submitted during the National AI Hackathon 2025.

The program is set to run until March 20, following a remarkable national response that attracted more than 5,600 registrations from across Kenya.

NIRU Launches Pre-Hackathon Mentorship Workshop

Speaking during the launch of the mentorship program at Movenpick Hotel, Westlands, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, the Principal Secretary for Research and Innovation in Science, stressed the importance of structured incubation in ensuring that innovations provide real value.

“By incubating AI innovations locally, Kenya is strengthening its capacity to develop technologies that address our socio-economic realities, create jobs, and enhance national security. Our focus is on helping innovators translate their ideas into scalable solutions, build viable AI products, and nurture local intellectual property that can significantly contribute to economic growth and national resilience,” said the PS.

Also Read: NIS DG Noordin Haji Sends Important Message to Youth Ahead of AI Hackathon

Vice Chancellor of NIRU, Dr. James Kibon stated that the program will support incubated solutions that target key sectors such as agriculture, public service delivery, cybersecurity, governance, and sustainable development, while bolstering Kenya’s digital economy and innovation pipeline.

“Our goal is to build a trusted pipeline of Kenyan AI solutions that enhance national security, create economic value, and ensure that intellectual property is developed and retained here in Kenya,” he said.

Additionally, the Vice Chancellor highlighted the critical role of the pre-hackathon mentorship program in guiding innovators as they develop their Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), ensuring that the solutions align with outcome-driven national security strategies.

About the Program

The incubation program builds on a national call launched in October 2025, which challenged Kenyans to develop AI-driven solutions to address priority national challenges.

Innovators will receive structured technical mentorship, support for product refinement, guidance on ethical AI practices, and insights into commercialisation to help transition their solutions from concept to deployment.

As part of the incubation journey, innovators will collaborate with local and international AI experts in preparation for the final National AI Hackathon showcase scheduled for March 2026. The program also benefits from global expertise, including insights from Dr. David Dixon, Head of AI Education and Innovation at MIT Horizon.

The initiative is led by NIRU, in partnership with prominent academic institutions and private sector players, including USIU-Africa, Strathmore University, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, the Open University of Kenya, the Communication Authority of Kenya, Equity Bank, KCB, and Safaricom.

Evaluation Process for Candidates

NIRU will implement a phased evaluation process over nine weeks to narrow down 188 pre-hackathon participants to five finalists ahead of the March-April finals. Teams are required to meet key milestones, including:

– Submitting a technical roadmap.

– Securing data by February 13.

– Developing a core MVP function by February 27.

– Integrating security features by March 13.

By March 20, 60 participants will be selected based on scores for national security alignment, technical innovation, ethics, and usability. The top 60 will engage in a physical competition starting March 30, where further evaluations on execution, data readiness, and technical soundness will reduce the number to 30, then 15.

Also Read: NIRU Announces Next Steps Following Over 5,000 Registrations for AI Hackathon

From the final 15, judges will select five based on criteria such as deployability, sustainability, compliance, and real-world impact.

At the last phase, the winners will be chosen from the top five based on national strategic value, scalability, public trust, and economic impact, with the top prize amounting to Ksh2 million.

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