Alum wins global mobile communications award
Alum wins global mobile communications award

Alum wins global mobile communications award

Alum wins global mobile communications award

Posted on: October 1, 2010 – Filed under: Global

Mr Alex Nyika, a Ugandan software developer based in Kenya, on Monday, 26th September scooped the top prize at one of Europe’s most prestigious mobile communication innovation awards.

Mr Nyika won the Base of the Pyramid award at the 2010 Mobile Monday Peer Awards that took place in Helsinki, Finland. Five finalists including United States-based Super Technologies, which emerged runner up in the category competed for the award.

The award recognises young and outstanding mobile companies that are making a difference in mobile health, education, payments, employment trade and entertainment. Software developers from 37 countries across the world participated in the awards.

Mr Nyika, 26, was recognised for developing iCheki, a mobile phone software solution designed to help users of public transport in Kenya to track taxis coming their way. iCheki is a Swahili-English (Sheng) word for “I see”.

In an interview, Mr Nyika who represented Kenya, said the awards had opened doors for his products and company. “It has exposed me to a bigger market, given me a chance to pitch my idea and confidence to create more products,” he told Uganda’s Daily Monitor on the sidelines of the awards ceremony.

Mr Nyika holds a degree in Civil Engineering from Makerere University and a Diploma in Business Information Technology from Strathmore University. Commenting on the win, Mr Emmanuel Kweyu, a former lecturer of Alex at Strathmore said the win is a reflection of the spirit of East African community – a Ugandan winning a global award while representing Kenya.

Mr Nyika won the Strathmore Boot Camp competition last November with an application called ‘Pamoja’ (Swahili for together) which is an event management system. The application was used to manage applicants in subsequent boot camp in July 2010.

My Nyika led Xrystalgenius, the mobile programming start up he heads to win the 10th MIT-AITI mobile development competition held on 30th July. Via Strathmore University