Kuza Leads High-Level Discussion at Kenya Innovation Week 2022

Kuza, in partnership with Heifer International, participated in Kenya’s Innovation Week (KIW) 2022 that brought together governments, the private sector, development entities, startups and members of the public, in order to capitalise on the shared value of participants.

In his opening remarks at the event, President Ruto emphasised that Kenya’s advantages in the digital and tech space should be capitalised on, saying; “This event is extremely timely for the country’s journey to economic transformation, industrialisation and competitive productivity. What is required of us is to do old things in new ways with the urgency that is required. I am impressed with the level of innovation and discussions happening at this year’s innovation week”.

This set the tone for the next three days.

High level discussions were held at Heifer International’s important side event dubbed Agritech Connect, where focus lay on the challenges and opportunities present in the agri-tech innovation ecosystem. On the panel were finalists from the AYuTe Africa Challenge, including Kuza’s Founder and Mentor - Sri Bharatam, who led a discussion on the organisation’s innovation that’s supporting youth Agriprenuers across Africa and Asia to learn, connect and grow.

“Kuza was very intentional in creating technology that would address unemployment in Africa and Asia. We wanted to empower those on the frontline  - our farmers, healthcare workers, community members, small business owners and many more - to build their economic independence and at the same time contribute to strengthening the communities in which they live,” said Bharatam during the panel discussion.

Close to 100 people attended the 2 hour discussion.

The 2022 KIW theme “Connecting Innovations Glocally” was all about showcasing local innovations on a global platform to spur collaboration between players in a growing innovation ecosystem.

To see first hand how new innovations work, and to meet the people behind them, KIW designed the pavilions, a vibrant exhibition site where over 1000 members of the public met trailblazers and the various actors supporting them.

President Ruto visited Kuza’s exhibition booth where he learned about the various technologies currently in use in 27 counties across Kenya by youth Agriprenuers supporting smallholder farmers.

Ms Jane Marriott, the UK High Commissioner to Kenya articulated how 30 years of collaboration between her Country and Kenya has led to increased confidence for innovation, saying that   innovation is for everybody and should never be viewed as an elite sport.