The Government, through the National Intelligence and Research University (NIRU), has launched an incubation programme aimed at nurturing Kenyan artificial intelligence (AI) innovators and transforming promising ideas into practical, job-creating solutions ahead of the National AI Hackathon finale slated for March 2026.
The incubation targets a shortlisted cohort selected from more than 2,400 AI solution proposals submitted during the National AI Hackathon 2025. The competition attracted a record 5,600 registrations countrywide, underscoring Kenya’s growing interest and capacity in artificial intelligence innovation.
Under the programme, innovators will undergo structured technical mentorship, product refinement, ethical AI guidance, and commercialisation training to enable them to move their solutions from concept to deployment. The AI-driven innovations are expected to address priority national needs in sectors such as agriculture, public service delivery, cybersecurity, governance, and sustainable development, while strengthening Kenya’s digital economy.
Speaking during the launch of the mentorship workshop, Principal Secretary for Science, Research and Innovation Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak said structured incubation is critical to ensuring innovation delivers tangible impact.
“By incubating AI innovations locally, Kenya is strengthening its capacity to develop technologies that respond to our socio-economic realities, create jobs, and enhance national security. Our focus is to help innovators translate ideas into scalable solutions, build viable AI products, and nurture local intellectual property,” said Prof. Abdulrazak.
The incubation programme builds on a national call issued in October 2025, which challenged Kenyans to develop AI-driven solutions addressing key national challenges. According to NIRU Vice Chancellor Dr James Kibon, the initiative seeks to establish a trusted pipeline of homegrown AI solutions.
“Our focus is on building Kenyan AI solutions that enhance national security, create economic value, and ensure intellectual property is developed and retained locally,” Dr Kibon said.
As part of the incubation journey, innovators will engage with both local and international AI experts, including Dr David Dixon, Head of AI Education and Innovation at MIT Horizon, ahead of the final hackathon showcase.
The initiative is spearheaded by NIRU in partnership with academic institutions and private-sector players, including USIU-Africa, Strathmore University, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, the Open University of Kenya, the Communications Authority of Kenya, Equity Bank, KCB, and Safaricom.