A series of training workshops for the Italia Academia with Africa (ITACA) project, titled “Building Sustainable Entrepreneurial Futures: Advanced Professional Courses for entrepreneurs and ecosystem actors in Africa,” hosted by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), are underway at the institution’s main campus in Juja.
The ITACA project is implemented by four (4) Italian universities, namely the Universities of Milan, Turin, Urbino, and the Polytechnic of Del Mache, and ten (10) African universities, including JKUAT.
Funded by the European Union, the ITACA project “aims to promote internalisation of Italian Academia in Africa through a robust and effective plan built on the pillars of international mobility, inter-university co-operation, capacity building and joint programs.”
The first training workshop titled “AI for Sustainable Development (AISD),” which the organisers reckon supports Kenya’s Digital Superhighway pillar, was officially opened by the JKUAT Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi, on Wednesday, April 08, 2026.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Vice Chancellor said that JKUAT is delighted to be one of the institutions engaged in implementing the noble initiative, noting that “taking participants through the course will help to build Kenya’s booming technology ecosystem, driving the digital economy and enhancing service delivery through innovation.”
The Vice Chancellor, represented by the Principal of JKUAT Karen Campus, Prof. Hellen Mberia, SAID, the objective of the training workshops of AISD course “is to introduce entrepreneurs and innovation actors to the strategic use of artificial intelligence for sustainable development, explore how AI can support innovation in sectors such as agriculture, water, energy, and health, with particular attention to emerging-market contexts.”
The Vice Chancellor observed that the theme: “Building Sustainable Entrepreneurial Futures,” is a direct response to the national call to transform Kenya into a globally competitive and prosperous nation, further stating that it is well aligned with Kenya Vision 2030 and the Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) and is pivotal to achieving Kenya’s development goals.
The Vice Chancellor underscored the excellent partnership between JKUAT and the University of Catholic of Milan and the Italian Government for their support, noting that, in the past two years, a number of students, lecturers, professors and administrators have benefited from the mobility and exchange programme, and reiterated the university’s commitment to supporting upcoming initiatives.
ITACA JKUAT Project Coordinator, Dr Clifford Obiero, gave a brief overview of JKUAT and the project, highlighting its main aspects, training areas, and objectives. He used the occasion to report the upcoming launch of the “Advancing Learning and Academic Networks for Transformation, Innovation and Sustainability (ATLANTIS) programme.
JHUB Founder, Dr Lawrence Nderu, one of the key partners implementing the project at JKUAT, said the main aspiration is to produce startup founders by the end of various courses at JKUAT. He expressed concern that while some players in other jurisdictions are seriously exploiting AI, the rest of us are just beginning to experience AI for service delivery. He encouraged participants, saying that AI was the way to go and urged them to engage in conversations about AI.
Dr Nderu added that he was excited to interact with a mix of training participants, including founders of start-ups and the innovative spirit amongst them, stating that JHUB is focused on working closely with young innovators and entrepreneurs to build their capacity.
Stephen Changaya, a participant from the State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, said, “I am looking forward to getting an opportunity to network with like-minded people who are working on AI-powered startups and learn how we can make startups more sustainable.”
On his part, Esborn Ogeto, CEO of Nanaheal Enterprises, a startup based in Nyamira County, said, “I am interested in understanding how I can use artificial intelligence in providing more value for our farmers.”
At Nanaheal, he explained, “we are tackling a double-phased challenge that is environmental pollution due to waste from farms and markets and low farm productivity due to unhealthy soils. We do this by providing farmers with eco-friendly fertilisers and extension services.”
Another participant, Rosemary Nyakio, said she was keen to learn and gain more insights into AI and is developing AI model languages in African languages that can converse with patients and therapists.
The capacity-building training workshops cover three thematic areas: AI for Sustainable Development (AISD); Sustainable Entrepreneurship & Climate Change (SECC); and Sustainable and Community-based Tourism (SCBT).
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Some of the topics the training participants have covered include: designing and scaling tech-based business models; AI innovations in agribusiness, healthcare, creative, energy, and water sectors; prompt engineering and AI tools; AI for marketing and content creation; and responsible and ethical AI in emerging markets.
Enrico Giansoldati, a researcher from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and CERSI – Research Centre for Entrepreneurial Development, gave a presentation on “Introduction to AI and Tech-based business models,” while Dr Nderu took participants through “Prompt engineering and AI Tools” and “Agents and Automation.”
The training is the first in a series and is expected to conclude on Friday, April 10, 2026, paving the way for the SECC and SCBT training courses to be hosted at JKUAT Karen Campus.
By Patrick Amunavi
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