‘Tough Jungle’ developer Gerald Kibugi has won the Safaricom Appstar challenge grand prize pocketing KSh1 million (approx US$11,680). Gilbert Rono who was number two overall collected KSh500,000 (approx US$5,840) with his education app ‘Eureka’.
Kibugi also won the Best Game app and Rono the Best Education App. Following their show of excellence at the challenge, the two will represent Kenya at the Vodafone innovation apps challenge in South Africa where they will battle it out with representatives from South Africa, Lesotho, Tanzania, Egypt and Qatar.
The challenge saw 894 application entries out of which 215 were shortlisted and categorized into six categories including Best Health App, Best Game App, Best Agriculture App, Best Education App, Best Production and Utilities App and The Best Financial Inclusion App.
Of the apps pitched, the Production and Utilities category attracted the largest number of entries with Safaricom’s executive business analyst Nicholas Mulila terming the entries as an indication that developers are largely interested in developing social solutions.
“I am especially encouraged that most of the entries were in the Productivity and Utilities category, pointing to the distinct determination by Kenyan developers to find solutions to the everyday problems that Kenyans face. This is aligned to Safaricom’s vision to transform lives in this country,” he added.
Judges at the event attributed the growth in the submissions of mobile applications to the increased access to the mobile Internet.
Other winners at the challenge included: Best Productivity and Utilities App-Nduru, Marcel Ogweno won the best Health App with Mimba Bora, Gordon Owiti won Best Agriculture App with M-Shamba, and Vincent Maraba the Best Financial Inclusion App with Pesa Tracker
