Vice Chancellor, Prof. Solomon Shibairo, Officially Opens the MMUST 2026 Innovation Emporium Week as It Kicks Off with a 72-Hour Hackathon
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Solomon Shibairo, has officially opened the MMUST 2026 Innovation Emporium Week, themed ‘Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship for Building Sustainable and Adaptive Indigenous Solutions for the Community’. The week-long event kicked off on Monday, 13th April, 2026 with a 72-Hour Hackathon, focused on Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence; Climate Resilience and Green Innovation; Health Systems and Biomedical Innovation; and Entrepreneurship, Industry and Commercialization. The event has been organized by the Directorate of Science Park, Innovation and Incubation Centre (SPIIC), led by Dr. Tecla Sum.
Prof. Shibairo urged the MMUST innovators to develop home-grown solutions that are sustainable and good for the environment. “What should MMUST be known for? We should come up with products and solutions that are unique to us and ones that will place us on the global map. I appreciate the Director of Science Park, Innovation and Incubation Centre, Dr. Tecla Sum and the entire team in the MMUST Innovation Academy for organizing such a highly impactful event,” said the Vice Chancellor.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Solomon Shibairo, addresses MMUST innovators.
Emphasizing on the commercialization aspect of innovation, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Planning, Research and Innovation), Prof. Christopher Ngacho, noted that his Division is in the process of developing a commercialization Master Plan, which will help to streamline the transition of our ideas into viable market products. “There is a need for us as academia to work together with the public and private sectors, as well as the community to ensure that the solutions we develop are rooted in the actual needs of the people. Let us also join entrepreneurial networks to strengthen our presence in the innovation ecosystem,” stated Prof. Ngacho.
“As a University, it is our mandate to impact our society through research and innovation. We have several activities under this year’s emporium, including the 72-hour hackathon; a Mental Wellness Awareness and Engagement Day; and Arts & Creativity, which will comprise fashion and design, modelling, music and content creation,” remarked Dr. Sum during the official opening ceremony. She revealed that the 72-hour hackathon involves student innovators, drawn from various Schools. She added, “we have ten teams, mixed up of students pursuing different programmes in each group to ensure multidisciplinary solutions. We should have ten solutions by the end of the hackathon.”
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Planning, Research and Innovation), Prof. Christopher Ngacho, presents the Hackathon challenges to the Vice Chancellor.
The MMUST 2026 Innovation Emporium Week is aimed at showcasing innovations across diverse categories. These innovations not only highlight our institutional milestones but also strengthen collaboration with potential industry partners. The Emporium is set to end on 16th April, 2026, with an exhibition.
By Caren Nekesa and Wangari Wambugu
Photos by Shiundu Masafu
