Kabarak University took part in the NIRU Pre-Hackathon, a national mentorship and capacity-building programme organized by the National Intelligence Research University (NIRU) as part of the lead-up to the National AI Hackathon.

The pre-hackathon was held on 19 and 20 January 2026 in Nairobi and attracted widespread national interest, with more than 2,000 applications submitted by innovators and institutions from across the country. From these applications, 185 teams were selected to participate in the intensive mentorship programme.

The event provided a structured platform for participating teams to refine their ideas through expert mentorship, technical guidance, and innovation support. Participants engaged in focused sessions covering problem identification, solution design, development of minimum viable products (MVPs), and the alignment of innovations with national development priorities.

Kabarak University was among the institutions represented at the pre-hackathon, with its teams actively participating in the mentorship activities. Notably, Kabarak University teams were among the top 100 teams selected to advance to the finals, which are scheduled to take place in March 2026. This achievement highlights the quality, relevance, and innovation potential of the solutions developed by the university’s participants.

Through this engagement, Kabarak University reaffirmed its commitment to innovation, research, and experiential learning. The university’s participation in the NIRU Pre-Hackathon underscores its dedication to nurturing innovative talent and preparing students to contribute meaningfully to national and global technological advancement in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

Kenya's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem is being shaped within its institutions of higher learning, with Kabarak University emerging as a key transformative hub. Recently, the university underwent a peer-led evaluation led by the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA), utilizing the Entrepreneurial Institution Maturity Framework (EIMF) to assess its readiness and identify strategies to enhance its institutional effectiveness and entrepreneurial capacity.

A crucial Teaching and Research Training session was successfully launched today at the Bethel Auditorium, marking a strategic milestone in empowering Kabarak University’s academic staff to drive research from the lab to the marketplace.

The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) visited Kabarak University as part of its nationwide effort to promote innovation and entrepreneurship through Student-Led Innovation Clubs (SLICs). The visit aimed to understand the university’s innovation ecosystem, raise awareness about KeNIA’s programs, and explore ways to collaborate in supporting student innovators and entrepreneurs.

Kabarak University students are scaling new heights in innovation, showcasing their ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit at the ACCESS Student Clubs Business Innovation Challenge 2025 Bootcamp, held in partnership with the African Center for Career Enhancement and Skills Support (ACCESS) project.

Kabarak University held two major international research conferences at its main campus. The joint opening ceremony marked the start of the 15th International Conference on Contemporary Issues and Practice in Education 2025 and the 15th International Research Conference in Psychology and Mental Health 2025. Both events were organized by the Directorate of Research, Innovation, and Outreach and the School of Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences (SEHSS).

Conference Theme: Investing in Mental Health: Innovation and Digitalization for a Sustainable Future.

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Kabarak University (KABU) recently hosted a delegation from the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) for a crucial self-review session assessing the university's innovation and commercialization capabilities. This rigorous session is part of KeNIA's Institutional Support (IS) Program, which aims to enhance research and innovation commercialization in universities. Held at the KABU Conference, the session underscores KABU's commitment to translating its research outputs into tangible socio-economic value.

Kabarak University today proudly inaugurated the 15th International Research Conference hosted by the School of Music and Media, under the theme “Innovating the Arts: The Intersection of Creativity and Technology.” The two-day event, running from October 6–7, 2025, brings together scholars, artists, and industry leaders from across Africa and beyond to explore the evolving relationship between creative arts and digital innovation.