Absa Bank Kenya Chief Information Officer Moses Okundi, GirlCode CEO Zandile Mkwanazi, Technopolis Development Authority Chief Manager Business Development & Innovation Josephine Ndambuki (Right) with Mary Wangui, Mugwanja Linet, Aisha Barasa and Cynthia Chepkorir, winners of the best overall in Kenya during the GirlCode Women-in-Tech Hackathon for their solution dubbed “Nauli SaKo.”
By Peace Muthoka
NAIROBI, Kenya — Four young Kenyan women have emerged as the overall winners of the third edition of the GirlCode Kenya Hackathon after developing an artificial intelligence-powered platform designed to improve public transport payments and financial tracking.
Mary Wangui, Linet Mugwanja, Aisha Barasa and Cynthia Chepkorir won the two-day competition held at Konza Technopolis, where 44 young women, including students, graduates, developers and aspiring entrepreneurs, came together to develop technology-based solutions to real-world challenges.
The winning team impressed the judges with Naulisako, an AI-powered digital fare collection platform designed to streamline public transport payments, automate reconciliation for vehicle owners and generate reliable sales records.
The platform is intended to improve efficiency, transparency and financial tracking in the public transport sector.
Speaking on behalf of the winning team, Linet Mugwanja said the recognition demonstrated the role young women can play in developing technology solutions for everyday challenges.
“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 Bots team emerged first runners-up with Biashara Bot, a solution that digitises and automates financial record-keeping for underserved and unbanked small businesses.
Korva finished third with Korva Creatives Economy, a platform that brings together creator revenues, engagement data and intellectual property monetisation across multiple channels to simplify income management for digital creators.
The top three teams received laptops, tablets, Bluetooth speakers, headsets and inspirational books.
The hackathon was organised by Absa Bank Kenya, GirlCode and the Technopolis Development Authority as part of efforts to create opportunities for young women to develop digital skills and build solutions to real-world challenges.
GirlCode CEO Zandile Mkwanazi said the organisation was pleased to continue its partnership with Absa Bank Kenya for a third year while welcoming Konza Technopolis as a venue partner.
“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,” she said.
For Absa Bank Kenya, the initiative is part of its focus on digital inclusion and youth empowerment.
Moses Okundi, Chief Information Officer at Absa Bank Kenya, said digital skills and access to technology can help young people pursue economic opportunities.
“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.”
He added that programmes such as GirlCode are helping equip young people with skills, confidence and opportunities to contribute to Kenya’s growth and digital transformation.
The Technopolis Development Authority provided mentorship and technical support and hosted the hackathon at Konza Technopolis.
Josephine Ndambuki, Chief Manager, Business Development and Innovation at the Technopolis Development Authority, said hosting the event provided an opportunity for young women to develop their skills and test their ideas.
“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,” she said.
Kenya was the sixth and final stop in this year’s GirlCode Pan-African Hackathon Series, following competitions in South Africa, Tanzania, Ghana, Botswana and Uganda.
The series is 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.
Attention will now turn to the Pan-African winners, who are scheduled to be announced on October 12, 2026. The winning team will receive R100,000, approximately KSh790,655, while the winning SME will receive incubation support to help scale its solution.
Absa Bank Kenya said its participation in the initiative is part of its wider commitment to inclusive growth, with a focus on equipping young people, particularly women, to participate meaningfully in the digital economy.
Through the Education and Skills Pillar of the Absa Kenya Foundation, the bank supports programmes aimed at aligning learning with industry needs, fostering innovation, strengthening economic resilience and contributing to sustainable development.
