NAIROBI, May 26 (Xinhua) -- A flag-off ceremony was held on Tuesday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, for 12 university students heading to Shenzhen, China, to compete in the global finals of the Huawei ICT Competition.
Musalia Mudavadi, prime cabinet secretary and cabinet secretary for foreign and diaspora affairs, presided over the ceremony, saying the students representing Kenya in the global finals in June would contribute significantly to the country's digital transformation.
He noted that in the 2025-2026 Huawei-sponsored ICT competition, Kenya performed strongly and secured three top positions, which he described as a strong reflection of the country's leadership in ICT innovation and digital talent development.
Mudavadi praised the partnership between the Kenyan government and Huawei for boosting digital literacy, driving innovation and creating technology-related job opportunities for young people.
Gavin Gao, chief executvie officer of Huawei Kenya, said the Chinese telecommunications firm has partnered with more than 50 local universities and vocational colleges to enhance advanced digital skills such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cybersecurity.
"Huawei will continue to support Kenya's digital transformation and strong Kenya-China cooperation in technology and innovation," Gao said.
He said the Kenyan participants in the 2025-2026 Huawei ICT Competition demonstrated strong capabilities in the networking, cloud and computing tracks, adding that he is confident in their performance at this year's global finals.
Brian Kamau, a computer science student at Mount Kenya University, expressed excitement about competing in the global finals in China after his team won the regional competition in the cloud track.
"We anticipate that in the global finals, we will be able to win the grand prize and also perform exceptionally well," Kamau said. ■