Four young Kenyan women emerged as the overall winners of the third edition of the GirlCode Kenya Hackathon held at Konza Technopolis.

The two-day hackathon brought together 44 young women, including students, graduates, developers, and aspiring entrepreneurs, to develop technology-driven solutions to real-world challenges with support from industry mentors.

The winning team, Mary Wangui, Linet Mugwanja, Aisha Barasa, and Cynthia Chepkorir, impressed judges with Naulisako, an AI-powered digital fare collection platform that streamlines public transport payments, automates reconciliation for vehicle owners, and generates reliable sales records to improve efficiency, transparency, and financial tracking.

The Bots team finished as first runners-up with Biashara Bot, a solution that digitises and automates financial record-keeping for underserved and unbanked small businesses. Korva secured third place with Korva Creatives Economy, a platform that consolidates creator revenues, engagement data, and intellectual property monetisation across multiple channels, simplifying income management for digital creators.

Speaking on behalf of the winning team, Linet Mugwanja said: “Winning the GirlCode Kenya Hackathon affirms that young women have an important role to play in shaping the future of technology.

Naulisako was inspired by everyday challenges in the public transport sector, and we are proud to have developed a solution that can make payments more efficient, transparent, and accessible. We hope our journey encourages more young women to embrace technology and innovation as tools for solving real-world problems.”

The top three teams received laptops, tablets, Bluetooth speakers, headsets, and inspirational books.

Commenting on the success of the event, Zandile Mkwanazi, CEO of GirlCode, said, “Kenya has one of the most exciting innovation ecosystems on the continent, and we are proud to continue our partnership with Absa Bank Kenya for a third year while also welcoming Konza Technopolis as a venue partner. Together, we are creating spaces where young women can learn, build, and see themselves as part of Africa’s technology future.”

Moses Okundi, Chief Information Officer at Absa Bank Kenya, said the initiative reflects the bank’s commitment to digital inclusion and youth empowerment.

“At Absa Bank Kenya, we believe digital skills and access to technology are powerful enablers of economic opportunity. Our partnership with GirlCode over the past three years demonstrates our commitment to creating pathways for more young women to participate, innovate, and lead in the digital economy.”

“This initiative aligns with our purpose of ‘Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together… one story at a time.’ Through programmes such as GirlCode, we are equipping young people with the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to realise their potential and contribute meaningfully to Kenya’s growth and digital transformation,” he added.

The Technopolis Development Authority provided mentorship, technical support, and hosted the event at Konza Technopolis, Kenya’s flagship smart city.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, Josephine Ndambuki, Chief Manager, Business Development and Innovation at the Technopolis Development Authority, said: “Hosting the GirlCode Kenya Hackathon reflects our commitment to creating opportunities for young women to develop their skills, test their ideas, and build solutions to real-world challenges. We want to see more young women become innovators, entrepreneurs, and technology leaders shaping Africa’s digital future.”

Kenya was the sixth and final stop in this year’s GirlCode Pan-African Hackathon Series, following events in South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana, Botswana, and Uganda. The series forms part of GirlCode’s ambition to reach 10 million girls and women across Africa by 2030 through coding programmes, mentorship, hackathons, and digital skills development.

The Pan-African winners will be announced on 12 October 2026, with the winning team receiving R100,000 (approximately Sh790,655) and the winning SME receiving incubation support to help scale its solution.

Absa Bank Kenya’s participation in the initiative forms part of its broader commitment to advancing inclusive growth by ensuring more young people, particularly women, are equipped to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.

Through the Education and Skills Pillar of the Absa Kenya Foundation, the bank continues to support targeted programmes that align learning with industry needs, foster innovation, strengthen economic resilience, and contribute to sustainable development.

by Joseph Ng’ang’a