KIU Hosts Historic 2025 East Africa Code Festival

KIU, Main Campus - On Thursday, November 20th, 2025, Kampala International University (KIU) Main Campus proudly hosted Uganda’s first-ever East Africa Code Festival, organised by Skillsmasters Africa in partnership with Strathmore University.

Held under the theme “Code and Create”, the two-day festival attracted students under 18 from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, all eager to showcase their creativity and innovation through coding.

Opening the event, Prof. Regina Idu Ejemot-Nwadiaro, KIU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation, Consultancy and Extension, praised the organisers for their vision:

“Today we gather to celebrate the power of technology to unlock imagination, transform communities, and bridge the skills gap for the next generation. This festival is more than a competition; it is a space where children under 18 years can experience, fail, learn, succeed and transform lines of code into solutions to real-world problems.”

She added that KIU believes Africa’s future will be shaped by critical thinkers and bold creators:

“Events like this sharpen skills and remind us that the digital revolution is upon us and no child must be left behind.”

From Strathmore University, Gertrude Gichuhi, Project Manager, emphasised the importance of nurturing young coders:

“Seeing young coders step forward with such passion reminds us why we continue to invest deeply in digital literacy, STEM empowerment, and opportunities that prepare the next generation for global competitiveness.”

Quoting Alan Kay, she inspired the audience:

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Today, this room is full of future inventors, young people who are not just learning to code, but learning to solve real problems, create meaningful solutions, and shape the world they want to live in.”

Festival Coordinator Geofrey Getare Nyauma stressed the need to mentor children early:

“Africa, we are behind. A kid goes from primary school, secondary school, until university before deciding whether to code. But if we mentor kids from primary school, by the time they grow up, they will be geniuses. That’s our aim as Code Festivals.”

He revealed plans for expansion:

“We are planning a bigger event next April, starting with a national competition in Rwanda. From there, qualifying schools will meet in Kenya for the East African Code Festival, and later advance internationally. We need our kids to understand this technology from now—because technology is the way to go.”

Among the participants, youthful voices brought energy and inspiration. Krystal Nyokabi, a 14-year-old student from Kenvic School in Kenya, shared her excitement:

“My really big love for coding inspired me to join. Our school takes coding club very seriously, and it has given us opportunities like this one. I’ve never been to Uganda before—this is such a cool experience. Today, we’ll be presenting an assignment tracker.”

From Uganda, Mackenzie Nsimbe of Olive School, Namugongo, showcased innovation in healthcare:

“I love technology, especially STEM. That’s why my team created Doc 247, a project that provides health support in hospitals. It acts like a doctor’s assistant, taking in patients’ signs and symptoms and running a diagnosis.”

The competition was fierce, but Juja St. Peter’s School emerged as the overall winner, followed by Strathmore Secondary School in second place and Mbuya Parents School in third.

Closing the festival on Friday, 21st November, 2025, Prof. Muhammed Ngoma, KIU Vice Chancellor, applauded the participants:

“We must continue taking part in such skilling initiatives for innovation, creativity, and a better tomorrow. Technology is the way to go.”