Smart City solution earns Young Engineers Uganda top spot in Pan Africa STEM challenge

A team of 15 young engineers from Uganda has won the second Young Engineers Pan Africa STEM Competition, held in Tanzania on November 16.

The competition, which brought together over 200 participants from Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, challenged children aged 6-14 to design sustainable cities with integrated transportation systems to solve urbanization challenges. The Ugandan team’s project, envisioning a Smart City of Kampala, impressed judges and earned them the overall trophy.

Hosted by Young Engineers Tanzania Franchisee Ms. Benazir Kurji in collaboration with the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), the event provided a platform for young minds to collaborate, innovate, and share ideas in robotics, engineering, and STEM education.

“The Pan African STEM Competition provides a unique opportunity for young minds across the continent to come together, learn from each other, and develop critical skills that will shape their future careers,” said Ms. Kurji.

The competition featured an array of impressive projects, including vehicles, smart cities, modern bridges, and wind-powered electricity generators, all created using the Young Engineers Master Builders Kits. Each kit contains over 300 motorized LEGO pieces, enabling students to apply real-world principles of engineering, mechanics, physics, and mathematics.

Uganda’s students edged out their counterparts from Tanzania and Kenya to take the top spot, with other countries excelling in various categories. The event also saw participation from over 30 schools, both national and international, competing in categories such as ‘Best Teamwork’, ‘Most Innovative’, and ‘Most Creative’.

Young Engineers Uganda CEO Maureen Karamagi praised the children for their achievement, saying, “These children have made us, their parents, and their country proud. It was tough competition, but they were very resilient throughout. Uganda has a bright future ahead.”

The competition is part of a global initiative by Young Engineers, a franchise founded in 2008 and operating in over 60 countries. The program offers after-school programs designed to equip children with critical 21st-century skills, including creativity, spatial cognition, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Recognized by Harvard University and the European Union Commission for its innovative education model, Young Engineers continues to shape the next generation of innovators worldwide. In Uganda, the program was founded by journalist and entrepreneur Arinaitwe Rugyendo in 2015.

The winning team from Uganda consisted of: