Over 2000 Innovators Enrolled In Whitebox Program

Over 2,400 innovators in Kenya have been registered in the Huduma Whitebox program, which focuses on incubation, capacity building, market linkages, and commercialization.

Out of these, 188 innovations -majority of which support the government’s economic agenda – have reached a viable stage with some already launched into the market.

Huduma Whitebox is an initiative under the Kenyan ICT Authority that aims to catalyze the growth of local ventures to global standards. Since its inception in 2019, the program has been receiving pitches from innovators and providing successful applicants with the support needed to grow their innovations.

Speaking ahead of the ICT Week themed ‘Innovation for a Sustainable Digital Future’, Stanley Kamanguya, CEO of the ICT Authority, assured stakeholders of increased cooperation to elevate ideas to both national and international markets.

“We are thrilled to surpass the 2,000 mark for registered innovators countrywide. We are currently supporting over 462 innovators and aim to empower more by incubating their ideas, linking them to markets, and introducing their solutions to enhance government services as well as solve practical challenges in the public,” Kamanguya remarked.

“Already, we have 188 innovations with most rolled out to the market for commercialisation. We have also collaborated with 18 counties; Isiolo, Makueni, Embu, Meru, Bungoma, Kakamega, Kiambu, Homabay, Migori, Uasin Gishu, Laikipia, Nyeri, Narok, Mombasa, Machakos, Thika, Kericho, and Nakuru to drive innovation. Additionally, we have engaged 75 academic institutions, hubs, county offices, and Ajira Centres to create a vibrant innovation ecosystem,” he added.

Kamanguya emphasized the importance of enhancing linkages to government funding programs for better investment and networking opportunities.

The Whitebox program offers capacity building in partnership with various organizations to train innovators on relevant subjects. Innovators can create an account on the program’s portal, submit their innovations and get enlisted for incubation.

Viable innovations are recommended for technical assistance through the ICT Authority’s incubation process, with priority given to those supporting the government’s agenda. Currently, over 100 innovations supporting the BETA agenda have been selected.