This afternoon, the University of Nairobi through the C4DLab and AFRETEC Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pillar officially launched its prestigious fellowship program, aimed at equipping students with the skills and experiences needed to lead innovation and problem-solving across industries. This follows a call that went out in December last year.
A Fellowship That Makes a Difference
The program offers hands-on experience by tackling real-world challenges, fosters collaboration across disciplines, and provides mentorship from industry leaders and faculty. With flexible scheduling, students can seamlessly integrate the program into their academic commitments while engaging in meaningful projects that expand their professional networks.
A Powerful Start
The event kicked off at 2:30 PM, with opening remarks from Dr. Sam Ruhiu, head of the AFRETEC Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pillar. Spelling out the overarching objective of the pillar, he expressed his excitement about the fellowship’s ability to introduce students to problem-based learning and human-centred problem-solving, innovative approaches to tackling societal challenges, and—most importantly—the importance of connecting theory to practice.
Dr. Ruhiu stressed that traditional student training often lacks practical application, and this fellowship is designed to bridge that gap, equipping students with skills they can apply in real-world scenarios. He said, “Learning in the traditional sense of the word expose students to a lot of knowledge, which can be very abstract at a times, ” for the problems in the society can be quite complex and therefore requiring radically different approaches. He was upbeat that this would be an opportunity for the industry players to share their challenges so the students can develop practicable solutions.
Industry leaders were present to reinforce their commitment to supporting students. Prof. Maina Wagacha, Director of the Intellectual Property Management Office, delivered the keynote speech, emphasizing that innovation must be coupled with commercialization to effectively address societal challenges. He also addressed the need to be vigilant as an innovator so that the effort does not go down the drain: “I know you will come up with wonderful innovations, and so I want to plead with you to protect your innovation.” He equally underscored the benefit of the industry tapping student talent, as they were now poised to do, to solve their various problems since it was not just accessible in many instances but also relatively cost-effective compared to what is possible with experts.
Prof. Wagacha was accompanied by Mr. Michael Anindo and Mr. John Maina from the same office. Mr. Anindo siad the IPMO puts a lot of the importance of linkage with industry potential investors to create a meaningful and thriving innovation ecosystem, and buttressed the need for every innovator to protect their intellectual property to earn royalties from it.
Strong Industry Support
The fellowship is backed by Britam and Tana River Development Authority (TARDA), with Ms. Julia Juma, representing TARDA’s CEO Mr. Liban Duba, affirming their eagerness to partner with UoN to drive digitally transformative growth led by young innovators. Ms. Juma said, “This was an opportunity to present our [government] problems in a way that is relatable and makes it easy for the teams to solve them.”
Ms. Caroline Kariuki from Britam shared their enthusiasm in supporting students, highlighting Britam’s BetaLab, its innovation lab and corporate acceleration program focused on fostering collaboration between startups, tech talent, and industry leaders. She emphasized Britam’s commitment to incubating, innovating, and accelerating startups within financial services, particularly insurance and technology. As part of this support, she said, “Britam is ready to provide the technical and human resources, including mentors, as the needs will dictate.” Moreover, the students will have full access to state-of-the-art facilities at Two Rivers Mall to enhance their learning experience and work.
Hybrid Learning Approach
The fellowship follows a hybrid format, allowing students to work virtually while attending in-person lab sessions on specific occasions. This structure ensures flexibility while maintaining hands-on engagement, giving students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real-world settings while benefiting from direct mentorship and collaboration.
Students’ Excitement and Expectations
Students from a broad range of faculties, including Engineering, Architecture, Health Sciences, and several other disciplines, expressed their eagerness to collaborate in multidisciplinary teams and solve real-world challenges provided by industry partners. The inclusion of students from diverse academic backgrounds ensures a comprehensive and well-rounded approach to problem-solving, bringing different perspectives and expertise to the fellowship projects.
Most importantly, students welcomed the opportunity to blend theory with practice, emphasizing their eagerness to step beyond theoretical learning and apply their skills in meaningful ways. The program’s structure—where students work on real industry problems and receive mentorship from faculty and industry leaders—will allow them to develop practical skills essential for the workforce.
The Faces Behind the Fellowship
The launch was expertly organized by Mr. Charles Katua, Programmes Lead at C4DLab, who noted that the current cohort of 36 fellows was selected from a pool of over 216 applicants . The event’s master of ceremonies was Mr. Peter Oketch, also a facilitator in the fellowship. Mr. Oketch noted that the 13-week long fellowship was university-senate-approved and would provide the students with a unique experiential opportunity to learn and work collaboratively on challenges. He said of the cohort, “The dynamism, diversity and knowledge you have as young people will help you solve the problems.” The programme, he noted, is similar to a pre-acceleration stage of startup development with the potential to move on to other stages.
A Bright Future Ahead
With three months of learning, collaboration, and mentorship, this fellowship is set to shape the next generation of leaders and innovators. As students embark on this journey, the program’s emphasis on problem-solving, commercialization, and intellectual property awareness, combined with the crucial connection between theory and practice, ensures they will be well-equipped to make an impact in Kenya and beyond.
About Britam
Established in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1965, Britam East Africa (Britam EA) is a leading diversified financial services group operating across seven African countries. It provides a wide range of financial solutions, including insurance, asset management, and banking. Notably, Britam launched BetaLab in February 2024, a corporate innovation hub focused on InsurTech and FinTech collaborations, fostering startup growth and the development of innovative financial products through internships and co-creation.
About TARDA
The Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA) was established in Kenya in 1974. As a state corporation, TARDA’s mandate is the integrated planning and sustainable development of natural resources within the Tana and Athi River basins. Its activities encompass water and soil conservation, water management, hydropower development, irrigation projects, and climate change adaptation across a significant portion of Kenya.