By Amoto Ndiewo
Countrywide Innovative Hubs Secretary General Abdinoor Alimahdi has expressed concern over poor information dissemination to the marginalized population, making them detached to emerging trends in innovation and technology.
Speaking during a three-day North Eastern Innovation Week at Garissa University, Alimahdi stated that it was unfortunate that innovations in rural and semi urban areas aren’t highlighted enough.
“Much attention is given to start-ups and innovative work in the big cities and this needs to be changed,” Alimahdi suggested.
He revealed that the objective of the innovation week was to tap into the unique potentials in the region by encouraging young innovators to showcase their ideas and get mentorship and training to sharpen their skills.
The event included panel discussion and tech mentorship, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) awareness workshops, pitching competitions and networking sessions with tech and innovation experts.
“We have already started calling for applications. We hope to award the top 3 innovations and ideas a prize of Ksh 30,000. The innovations will also be incubated and accelerated,” he said.
Abdikarir Aden, a renowned environmentalist bent on planting a million trees in arid Garissa, said organising the Innovation Week at Garissa University was timely.
“In the semi urban regions, a huge bulk of talent still remains untapped as investors and partners’ focus is concentrated in big cities which also happen to be better endowed with technology,” he said
He added that a regional innovation hub is urgently needed in North Eastern Kenya to address gaps in education, health, forestry and agriculture.
Garissa University Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof. Ahmed Warfa said Countrywide Innovation Hubs is an association of ICT and innovation hubs located outside Nairobi with 63 members spread in 15 counties
He said its main objective is to promote members’ activities and programmes and support their vision of testing and building impactful sustainable businesses in rural and second tire towns in the country.
