Karatina University recently held its first annual Student Innovation Competition with the theme “Green Innovations for Prosperity.” The competititon was held on 23rd March, 2024 at the Conference Hall. .The main aim of the event was to offer students a platform to showcase their innovative products and services. In attendance was Mr. Savio Wambugu CEO of Mt. Kenya Hub, the acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Research and Students Affairs Prof. Hellen Kamiri and a team of judges from Teach2Give Agency.
The competition was officially launched by Prof. Michael Lokuruka, Director of Research, Innovation, and Extension. In his opening remarks, he highlighted the University’s aspiration to become a Centre for innovation. He encouraged and urged all the participants to concentrate on their areas of study and move beyond reliance on software applications for diversity. He further emphasized on the importance of refining the innovations so as to increase their commercial potential.
The panel of judges during the innovation competition at the front row
Ten teams, comprising 2 to 5 members each took part in innovation competition where they presented their various innovations to the panel of judges. The teams included: Green harvest organics, Talkgem, Frontier Thinker, Bits, and Robotics among others.
Participants during the student’s innovation competition
Mr. Savio Wambugu, the guest of honour and CEO of Mt. Kenya Hub, commended the participants for their dedication and encouraged them to prioritize practical applications in their innovations, in order to foster progress and produce real-world impact
The winning teams were as follows:
The Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor ARSA Prof. Hellen Kamiri, recognized and awarded the top three performing groups during the competition. She encouraged all the innovators to intensify their research efforts to enhance their projects for the upcoming National Innovation Competition scheduled for August organized by KENIA. She also closed the competition.
The winning team poses for a group photo with the Ag. Deputy Vice Chancelor (AR&SA), The Chief Guest Mr. Savio Wambugu , Prof. Lokuruka Director RIE, the Judges and the facilitators of the competition.