TWO KENYAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WIN KSH 193,000 IN CONTINENTAL AWARD

Two fourth-year Geospatial Engineering students from the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), Arnold Omoja and Julia Hamala, have won an award at the Continental GAIAthon Innovation Challenge in Ghana. The two emerged second in the Digital Platforms and Interactive Applications category of the recently concluded GAIAthon competition.
They received a prize of Ksh 193,244 (USD 1500) for their achievement.
The duo impressed judges with their project, ‘Green Map Nairobi’, a mobile and web-based platform that processes and visualizes Earth Observation (EO) and Internet of Things (IoT) data.
Their project, dubbed ‘Green Map Nairobi’, provided an interactive application that maps green spaces, sustainable businesses, and cultural sites in Nairobi County to improve public awareness and promote urban sustainability.
The award ceremony took place in Accra, Ghana, and was attended by Omoja, Clifford Okembo, Project Coordinator and lecturer in the Department of Physics, Earth and Environmental Sciences at TUK.
Organized annually by the Edenway Foundation, GAIAthon brings together university students from across Africa to showcase innovative solutions that leverage digital technologies for sustainability.
The competition is designed to nurture creativity, strengthen digital stewardship, and promote the use of EO and IoT technologies in addressing environmental and community challenges.