Mountains of the Moon University (MMU) staff and students led by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Pius Coxwell Achanga attended the Huawei Information Communications Technology (ICT) Competition Uganda 2026-2027 launch and awards ceremony held on Tuesday, 10th November 2026, at Huawei Uganda Headquarters in Kampala, where three of its students were recognised for securing Second Prize in the Innovation Competition at the 2025-2026 Huawei ICT Global Final in Shenzhen, China.
The three award-winning students, Aaron Masendi, Elvis Oko and Wasswa Atibu, from the University’s Faculty of Science, Technology and Innovation (FOSTI) earned international recognition through their innovation, AgriChain: A Blockchain Plus AI Trusted Marketplace for Farmers, which was developed to address the challenge of limited access to financing among smallholder farmers.
AgriChain combines Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered pre-harvest yield predictions with blockchain-backed crop tokens to enable farmers to use anticipated harvests as secure and verifiable collateral when seeking commercial bank loans. The innovation demonstrates how emerging technologies can be applied to address practical challenges in agriculture and financial inclusion.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister, Office of the President in charge of Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiki, who officially launched the 2026-2027 competition, challenged young innovators to develop technologies that respond to real community needs and improve people’s lives.
“We don’t qualify innovation by having a substantial thing. We qualify innovation by someone around you being able to improve his life,” the Minister said.
He urged students and researchers to move beyond developing projects that remain at conceptual level and focus on producing solutions that can be adopted, scaled and commercialised. Emphasising the importance of turning ideas into tangible products, he challenged innovators. “Don’t have a folder of projects. Have a store of products”, he emphasized
The Minister also highlighted the need for stronger collaboration between universities, government and industry to build Uganda’s capacity to design, develop and commercialise homegrown technologies rather than remain primarily consumers of innovations developed elsewhere.
Prof. Pius Coxwell Achanga, the Vice Chancellor, MMU, described the students’ achievement as a reflection of the University’s commitment to producing knowledge and innovations that respond to real-world challenges. He emphasised that MMU’s identity as a fourth-generation university which is anchored in its role in solving societal problems through research, innovation and the practical application of knowledge.
“This achievement demonstrates that innovation and globally competitive ideas are not limited by geographical location or the size of an institution. As a University, we are committed to nurturing talent, supporting creativity and providing an environment where our students can transform knowledge into practical solutions to the challenges facing our communities,” he said
The Vice Chancellor further reaffirmed the University’s commitment to nurturing student talent, strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship, and providing an enabling environment in which ideas can grow into practical solutions and viable enterprises.
Huawei Technologies Uganda, through its Country Director, Edward Zhang Hao highlighted the competition’s role in strengthening practical ICT skills, mentorship and global knowledge exchange. He noted that the 2025–2026 global edition attracted more than 220,000 students and faculty members worldwide, providing participants with opportunities to engage with emerging technologies and demonstrate their capabilities on an international platform.
Elvis Oko, one of the student innovators, noted that participating in the Huawei ICT Competition has been an incredible learning experience, which challenged them to think beyond the classroom.
“Developing AgriChain challenged us to think beyond the classroom and explore how technology can solve real problems affecting our communities. Winning Second Prize at the global level is a great motivation to keep improving our innovation and to continue developing solutions that can make a meaningful difference, particularly for smallholder farmers.”
The launch of the 2026–2027 competition now provides another opportunity for university students across Uganda to showcase their creativity and technical abilities in areas including networking, cloud computing and innovation.
MMU congratulates Aaron Masendi, Elvis Oko and Wasswa Atibu, their mentors and the entire FOSTI community on this remarkable achievement.