Moi University Students Lead First Health Summit

Country

Kenya

Pillar

Health Entrepreneurship

At Moi University, young innovators are developing practical solutions to improve healthcare delivery. They are combining health, technology, and entrepreneurship to solve real challenges facing their communities.

On February 27, 2026, Moi University, under the Africa Health Collaborative (AHC), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, hosted the inaugural Moi University Health Summit. The student-led event brought together future health professionals, entrepreneurs, innovators, and industry leaders under the theme, “Re-imagining Health through Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Digitization in Primary Health Care: Empowering Future Healthcare Leaders.”

The summit created a space for young people to learn, collaborate, and turn bold ideas into solutions that can strengthen primary healthcare across Africa.

Turning Ideas into Action

One of the highlights of the summit was the innovation pitch competition. Students from the College of Health Sciences (CHS) and the School of Business and Economics (SBE) worked together to develop sustainable healthcare solutions. They combined medical knowledge with business thinking. They also received mentorship to refine their ideas. Five teams received seed funding to help grow their innovations.

• DawaPoint – Improving access to medicines for patients in remote communities. (Whitney Mabwi & Alvin Kiprop)
• Uzimatek – A connected digital platform that improves healthcare experiences for patients and providers. (Adrian Kuloba)
• PULSEVR – Using virtual reality to create immersive clinical training for healthcare students. (John Aleka, Dennis Chagira, Benjamin Mogusu & Ian Njuguna)
• Hifadhi Mama – An early prediction tool designed to reduce deaths caused by postpartum hemorrhage. (Maiko Obwocha, Paul Morgan & James Githinji)
• OptiFuel – A personalized nutrition platform for athletes and people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), built around locally relevant nutrition data. (Nyandega Medlyne Achieng’ & Kendi Sharon Kirimi)

Young People Leading the Way

For many participants, the summit was more than a competition. It was a chance to test their ideas, build new skills, and see themselves as leaders in healthcare.

Medlyne Nyandega, a member of the winning OptiFuel team, said the experience changed how she thinks about healthcare innovation.

“Being part of the winning innovation team showed me how powerful simple ideas can become when they are built around real health needs. Working on OptiFuel, a personalized nutrition platform for athletes and patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), helped me realize that the future of healthcare is shifting from treating illness to optimizing human performance through data, prevention, and personalized care. I believe the next generation of healthcare will empower individuals with tools that help them understand their bodies better and make smarter health decisions every day.”

The summit itself reflected the power of collaboration. Students from different disciplines worked together to solve complex health challenges.

Student leader Bonventure Machuka said the summit marks the beginning of a larger movement.

“This Summit is not an event in isolation; it is a process born from interschool collaboration and youth co-creation. As Africa’s health systems transform, digital innovation is reshaping service delivery, entrepreneurship is redefining sustainability, and the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals demands bold, context-specific solutions. At the center of this transformation, there must be young people who are equipped, trusted, and empowered—because the future of healthcare will not be handed to us; it will be built by us. Equally, this transformation must advance gender equity and strengthen the health workforce that sustains our systems.

The summit received strong support from Moi University leadership. This included Prof. Robert Tenge, Principal of the College of Health Sciences, and Prof. Michael Korir, representing the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic, Research, Extension and Student Affairs.

Students also learned from experts representing the Thriving Teens Foundation, Africa Centre for Health Systems and Gender Justice, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Tawi Health, and Rapha Hospital & Clinics. Through keynote sessions, panel discussions, and mentorship, they gained practical insights on leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, and creating jobs in the health sector.