Blockchain Online Hackathon Competition Softly Launched

A Blockchain Online Hackathon which will see youths across East Africa come up with innovative solutions to fight corruption using technology has been launched.

Solutions obtained from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime East Africa youth blockchain hackathon will be absorbed and used by the Government in the anti-corruption war.

The Principal Secretary, State Department for Youth, Julius Korir commended the project stating it was a positive response to the Distributed Ledgers Technology and Artificial Intelligence Task Force set up by the President in 2018 to improve service delivery, provide financial inclusion, ensure cybersecurity and create a single digital identity.

“Governments all over the world are adopting blockchain in giving service due to its transparency, accountability, and access to information,” said Korir.

According to the UNODC ROEA Regional Anti-corruption Advisor, UNODC David Robinson, the results of the hackathon participants could be adopted as an actual system by governments.

The project targets youth below 35 years and will run for 6 weeks where the participants will work on ideas of combating corruption, promoting good governance and the rule of law, and for the youth to harness their potential through innovation.

They will also be mentored in skills such as design, prototyping, software engineering, business modeling, finance, and marketing.

“We are calling on the youth to co-create with us through initiatives such as this,” the PS said.

The hackathon will be supported by partners such as the IBM, Kotani, National Youth Council, C-labs and decoded with learners designing blockchain-based solutions in areas of whistleblowing protection, financial investigations, and public procurement.