Sam Gichuru, Nailab’s Co-Founder
While in high school I took part in the Science Congress competitions all the way from Form 1. In hindsight I think this was among the reasons I fell in love with Computer Science and my passion for innovation in technology. On display were various projects by fellow high school students and we would battle it out for a chance to make it to the nationals.
Off late a lot of hype and talk has been about the onset of innovation hubs in Nairobi. Ihub is seen as one of the leading hubs not only in Kenya but Africa and several other hubs have made a name for themselves such as Nailab and 88mph. Not only are the hubs focusing on tech but various other hubs have sprung up such as Pawa254 for photography and films and the Nest. There are also hubs that have been there like Kuona Trust and Godown Art Centre that are a space for visual artists.
It is agreed that these hubs are a major benefit to innovation and development but question is why are there not more hubs being set up especially outside Nairobi. With the onset of the county governments this would provide a perfect platform for innovation into solutions that affect the said counties and offer more opportunities for their population. We should be setting up innovation hubs in each county with the county government putting it on their agenda to seek funding for the same.
Having finished high school a few years back I don’t know how the National Science Congress is fairing but believe that if it is still there it should receive as much attention as is afforded to Drama and Music Festivals.