Governor Johnston Sakaja recently announced a groundbreaking leap in Nairobi’s tech landscape with the introduction of a dedicated hackathon space within City Hall.

This ambitious endeavour aims to harness the city’s intellectual capital to solve pressing county-wide challenges through collaborative innovation.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the inaugural Innovate Nairobi TechWeek held from August 7th to 11th at Edge Conventional Centre, Nairobi, Governor Sakaja expressed his vision for the hackathon space, stating, “We will create a hackathon space in City Hall, where we will pose all the problems in the county, and the best ideas to create solutions will be funded. Nairobi’s cash crop is the ‘brain’, and we want to tap into its potential by fostering continuous innovation.”

Governor Sakaja emphasized the importance of maintaining an innovative edge, saying, “Let’s keep innovating and evolving to ensure that Nairobi remains at the forefront of technological advancement.”

Nairobi’s Deputy Governor, Njoroge Muchiri, underscored the educational and communal benefits of these initiatives. “The innovations here will enable the students to improve themselves, and the county can get the solutions it needs,” Muchiri remarked.

“We shall continue working together to ensure the best outcome for the county in terms of innovation.”

Nairobi’s County Chief Officer, Digital Economy and startups, Victor Agolla hailed these developments as just the beginning of an exciting journey.

“We look forward to monthly Nairobi hackathons starting this October,” Agolla announced, revealing plans for regular hackathon events to take place in City Hall.

He also pledged support for ongoing projects showcased at the recent tech week alias #InnovateNBO2023, hinting at imminent partnership announcements.

The unveiling of the hackathon space and the commitment to advancing technological innovation in Nairobi has generated palpable excitement within the city’s tech community.

As the region gears up for the launch of these initiatives, eyes are set on a promising future of collaborative problem-solving and groundbreaking advancements, propelling Nairobi further into its tech renaissance.