Group Photo of Participants on the last day of the 7th Innovation Week and Public Lecture

The University of Eldoret successfully hosted its 7^th Annual Innovation Week and Public Lecture from 4^th  - 6^th February 2026, bringing together students, researchers, innovators, industry players, and partners under the theme “Sustainable Innovations for Climate Change Resilience.” Anchored in the University’s vision of nurturing global leaders and innovators, the annual event showcased over 40 innovative solutions addressing challenges in agriculture, health, environment, digital technologies, and the creative economy. The Innovation Week was officially opened on 5 February 2026 by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Thomas Cheruiyot, followed by a public lecture delivered by Dr. Carol Hunja, Secretary for Higher Education, representing the Principal Secretary, State Department for Higher Education and Research. The Public Lecture and subsequent panel discussion provided a platform for in-depth dialogue on strengthening research, innovation, and commercialization for climate resilience in Kenya.

The Innovations were exhibited by students and staff from the University of Eldoret, as well as those from Kabarak University, Kisii University, University of Eastern Africa–Baraton, the Eldoret National Polytechnic, the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, and the North Rift Herbalists. The fair  attracted over 500 participants, highlighting its growing impact as a regional innovation platform.

Key highlight of the Innovation Week was the 3^rd University of Eldoret Innovation Challenge Pitching Competition which was held on the 4^th February 2026, where ten student teams pitched climate-smart innovations for sustainable development. The competition featured keynote presentations from innovation ecosystem leaders and culminated in the recognition and awarding of outstanding student innovations during the closing ceremony.

The Innovation Week concluded on 6^th February 2026 with a keynote address on “Innovative Digital Tools and Services for Building Capacity in Emerging Technologies” by Mr. Charles Sakari of Eldohub Innovation Centre, representing Waziup e.V. He emphasized the role of digital tools in empowering youth innovators and reaffirmed Eldohub’s commitment to supporting innovation through hackathons, training, and mentorship, while encouraging continued collaboration with the University of Eldoret. The Closing Ceremony also saw the launch of the newly established student-led Innovation Club and awards to winners of the 3^rd Innovation Challenge Pitching Competition, which was also the best among innovations exhibited throughout the week.
The 7^th Annual Innovation Week reaffirmed the University of Eldoret’s commitment to fostering creativity, collaboration, and sustainable innovation, positioning the institution as a hub for innovations that contribute to national and global development goals. All the activities were also designed to motivate the students to faculty to take their position in the UOE Innovation Ecosystem as the institutions strives to become an entrepreneurial University which nurtures self-reliant graduates.