News & Events

Kirinyaga University is celebrating the remarkable achievement of Hawona Rodgers Wisdom, a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering student in the Class of 2026, who has emerged as overall winner of the Hackhouse Africa Demo Day with his technology startup, Keverd AI. The achievement came during a Demo day held at Hackhouse Africa, Nairobi on August 20, 2026 where a total of ten (10) business startup, products and ideas were presented before a panel of judges. Founded with a focus on strengthening trust in the digital economy, Keverd AI is building device trust infrastructure for digital businesses. The technology helps financial institutions understand and establish trust in the devices accessing their platforms, with an initial focus on addressing fraud and digital financial abuse across Africa.

For Hawona, the victory is another significant milestone in a journey that has seen him combine his university education with a strong passion for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2025, Hawona led a team that beat more than 99,000 countries around the world to win the Call for Code Global Challenge, an international technology competition that encourages innovative solutions to real-world challenges. The team made history by becoming the first African team to win the global grand prize. Since then, Hawona and his team have continued to build Keverd AI, turning their idea into a growing African technology company. In just eight months, the company has expanded its operations to four African countries and recently secured a partnership that has opened access to 14 African markets.

As he completes his final year at Kirinyaga University, Hawona continues to demonstrate how academic knowledge can be transformed into practical solutions to challenges facing humanity. His journey reflects the growing role of young African innovators in shaping the continent’s digital future. The Hackhouse Africa Demo Day victory adds to Keverd AI’s growing list of achievements and marks another important step in the company’s mission to build greater trust and security in digital financial services across Africa.

Kirinyaga University congratulates Hawona Rodgers Wisdom and the entire Keverd AI team on this remarkable achievement. The University takes pride in the accomplishments of her students and remains committed to nurturing innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-driven solutions for a dynamic world.