Tech Challenge Kenya 2025 Expands Nationwide
Silicon Valley’s The Tech Interactive Brings Global Innovation Program to Thousands of Kenyan Students
The Tech Interactive, Silicon Valley’s leading science and technology centre, is expanding its engineering design program in Kenya with the launch of Tech Challenge Kenya 2025.
The program is set to engage nearly 5,000 students from over 1,000 schools across the country, with major showcases taking place in Kisumu and Nakuru.
Since its inception in 1986, The Tech Challenge has empowered young innovators in Silicon Valley to solve real-world problems through hands-on engineering. In 2023, the program made its international debut in Kenya with 750 participants. That number grew to 2,700 in 2024, and the 2025 edition is expected to nearly double in size while expanding to a second location for the first time.
This year’s theme, “Drop & Dash,” challenges student teams to develop a device that can survive an aerial drop and accurately deliver emergency supplies to a designated target area, without using batteries. The challenge is inspired by real-life conditions in Turkana County, where drought-stricken regions rely on air-dropped humanitarian aid that often fails to reach its intended recipients. Over several months, students will collaborate to design, test, and refine their solutions before presenting them at public showcases.
Emphasising the global mission behind the expansion, Katrina Stevens, President and CEO of The Tech Interactive, said, “In the face of shrinking global aid, The Tech remains committed to expanding opportunity where it’s needed most,”.
“This year’s Challenge reflects our belief that innovation knows no borders—and that every student deserves the chance to become a problem-solver.”
The program’s success in Kenya is built on a peer-to-peer train-the-trainer model that ensures local ownership and sustainability. Kenyan educators receive remote training in engineering design-based learning from The Tech Interactive and then mentor fellow teachers in their communities. This approach has so far empowered over 19,000 teachers and impacted more than 568,000 students across Kenya, making it one of the most scalable and culturally relevant STEAM education programs in the region.
Dr. Shikoh Gitau, CEO of Qhala and a board member of The Tech Interactive, described the initiative as a vital tool in unlocking Africa’s innovation potential. “As Africa becomes the world’s next innovation engine, The Tech is proud to support the creative potential of young learners across the continent,” she said. “This kind of learning—hands-on, high-stakes, and human-centred—is what’s needed to create sustainable change.”
The 2025 final showcases will take place in Kisumu on July 5 and 6, and in Nakuru on July 12 and 13, with students competing in three age divisions. Over 800 teams will present their solutions to a panel of volunteer judges, including engineers, educators, and industry leaders from organisations such as Microsoft, Mastercard Foundation, Save the Children, Médecins Sans Frontières, Zipline, Lish AI Labs, Qhala, and Kabarak University.
Tech Challenge Kenya 2025 has been sponsored by partners including Kenafric, SBM Bank, Gearbox, IX Data Centre, and Tropical Heat.
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