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Category: Faces of Daystar

  • FROM INTERNAL GRANT TO UK AWARD: DAYSTAR’S HARRIET MWANGO SECURES GLOBAL RECOGNITION

    By Tracy Kavai

    Machakos, Kenya — 4 February 2026.Daystar University has marked a significant milestone in research and innovation following the achievement of Ms. Harriet Mwango, a faculty member in the School of Science, Engineering and Health, whose work has advanced from institutional support to international recognition.

    In 2025, Mwango received an internal research grant from Daystar University through the Directorate of Research, Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship (DRICE). The funding enabled her to develop and validate her idea, moving it from proof of concept to a solution with clear commercial and social relevance.

    Building on this foundation, her work has now earned global recognition after securing a competitive external award under the AI Challenge Program 2025. The program is sponsored by the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme (UK DAP) and implemented in Kenya by KICTANet. Through the award, Mwango secured KES 2 million in funding for her project, “AI for Financial Inclusion in Rural Kenya”, with implementation running through March 2026.

    The project leverages artificial intelligence to address barriers to access to financial services in underserved rural communities. By applying AI-driven solutions, the initiative seeks to enhance financial inclusion, expand economic participation, and promote empowerment among populations that remain largely excluded from the formal financial system.

    Mwango’s success strongly validates Daystar University’s Research, Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship (RICE) framework, which is designed to nurture ideas from early-stage research to market-ready solutions. Her transition from an internal university grant to an internationally funded award demonstrates the impact of strategic institutional investment in innovation and its ability to attract external confidence.

    Beyond individual achievement, the award positions Daystar University as a credible hub for research excellence, innovation, and global collaboration. The university has hailed Mwango’s journey as an inspiration to students and researchers seeking to transform locally nurtured ideas into impactful solutions with global relevance.

    Daystar University’s faculty member and researcher Ms. Harriet Mwango, recipient of a KES 2 million UK-supported grant for an AI-driven financial inclusion project.

     

  • A DIVE INTO FASHION

    By: Valyne Laibuta (vklaibuta@gmail.com)

    Photos courtesy of: Sapatu Kenya

    Wambui Ndaiyo. Founder and lead designer at Sapatu Kenya.

    This week I got the opportunity to interview the lovely Prisca Noel Waiganjo also known as Wambui Ndaiyo. Wambui is not only a third year Public relations student at Daystar University but she is also the lead designer and founder of the fashion brand Sapatu Kenya.

    Sapatu Kenya was born in 2015, “I took a short course in tailoring and design after high school” says Wambui when talking about how Sapatu Kenya came to be. She adds, “it also helped me cope with depression.

    Before joining the tailor and design school, Wambui described how she would take her mother’s clothes are transform them to be more modern, sexy and sophisticated, this is what inspired her to pursue her passion in fashion design.

    Wambui went on to describe Sapatu as a clothing brand for the modern African woman that promotes body positivity, sophistication and confidence. From her collections, I could tell that Sapatu Kenya lives up to its purpose.

    “The kind of fashion you would find at Sapatu Kenya, is based on diversity. It is a brand that implements its creativity to ensure our clients are satisfied with the products” Wambui when asked about the kind of fashion found at Sapatu. She adds that Sapatu Kenya aims to provide clients with unique and stunning pieces that you will not be able to find in a typical clothing store.

    Prisca recounts that her favourite collection was based on shoot that she did with her couple of her friends a year back known as the forest shoot. Her main aim with this collection and shoot was to inspire people to lean on nature when they are feeling overwhelmed with day to day activities.

    “Nature is the foundation of everything and fashion itself. Nature allows me to reach into my creative wits and create something that’s uplifting and relatable”.

    Speaking about the challenges she has faced with starting and running Sapatu Kenya, she says that “starting any business is not easy”. She wishes she had not rushed too quickly to the creative side without first considering the business side of the brand.

    Organization and marketing of her brand proved a challenge to her in the beginning, luckily she had help from her friends and also help from Urban Change Lab that allowed her brand to reach a larger market.

    While interviewing Wambui, I found her to be remarkable and hardworking; along with her brand and her studies, she is also the Public relations manager of Urban Change Lab.

    She describes Urban Change Lab as a platform that allows local craftsmen to showcase their products abroad. The craftsmen and clients are able to interact in transparency, the clients are able to also send in their ideas and be able to be their own designers with the help of these craftsmen.

    Urban Change Lab is a new form of comfort shopping that allows people from different parts of the world to share ideas which are realized by craftsmen in Africa. The platform allows both the craftsmen and client to interact fairly and share ideas.

    Wambui believes that this platform might open doors to job opportunities in Africa especially to fellow designers who would like to gain internationally recognition.

    She concludes the interview by offering advice to upcoming business owners, that they must be focused and set realistic goals for their businesses. She also urges the ambitious women out there trying to be billionaires before they hit 30, that it is not too early to start their journey into the world of business.

    Wambui is an inspiration out there to those studying or working but have always been dreaming to start their own brand that it is never too early to start and whatever challenges come your way, you must work through them and keep pushing forward. I hope her interview serves as inspiration to someone out there.

    If you would like to watch the video interview, click here.

  • SHUJAA WETU

    Na: Wangu Kanuri

    kanuriwangu@gmail.com

    TOA maelezo yako kuhusu mchezo wa raga

    Raga ni mchezo ambao unahitaji nguvu haswa kwenye misuli. Mchezo huu umegawanywa katika makundi mawili makuu; ya wachezaji saba na ya wachezaji kumi na tano. Kundi hili la wachezaji saba hujulikana vyema kama rugby 7s ilhali hilo la wachezaji kumi na tano hujulikana kama rugby 15s. Vikundi hivi ndivyo vimepewa kipaumbele nchini ila kuna vingine.

    TUELEZE kwa ufupi kukuhusu

    Slyvester Miheso, ni mwanafunzi wa shahada ya Udhibitishaji wa Rasilimali za Nchi katika chuo kikuu cha Daystar. Anapenda kusikiza muziki, kufanya mazoezi na kutizama filamu. Isitoshe, mimi ni mchezaji wa kawaida katika timu ya Falcons ambayo ni timu ya raga katika chuo kikuu cha Daystar.

    NINI kilikuchochea kuupenda mchezo huu wa raga?

    Nilipojiunga na shule ya upili ya Mtakatifu Inyasi ndipo ari yangu ya kupenda mchezo wa raga ilianza. Nilijiunga na timu ya raga nikiwa kidato cha kwanza japo shingo upande kwa kuogopa kuumizwa. Baada ya kujiunga na mchezo huo nilijua sheria na masharti zinazomkinga mtu wakati wa kumenyana na hofu yangu ikapungua.

    NI mchezaji yupi katika raga hukuvutia? Kwa nini?

    Mchezaji ninayemuenzi anachezea timu ya na Mwamba anafahamika kama Collins Injera. Mchezaji huyu ana bidii na anapenda kuwapa mwelekeo wachezaji chipukizi ili waweze kubobea kama yeye. Isitoshe, Collins amejivunia taji nyingi katika ligi za Uingereza kwa kufunga mabao mengi.

    MCHEZO HUU umekuvunia tija ipi?

    Mchezo huu umeniwezesha kufadhiliwa kimasomo katika ya shule ya upili na ya chuo kikuu. Hali kadhalika, nimejivunia taji la mchezaji bora na pia mchezaji aliyefunga mabao mengi upande wa Division 2. Nimeweza kuzuru nchi ya Uganda na Rwanda na miji ya Kisumu, Kakamega, Nairobi, Meru, Nanyuki na Nakuru.

    UNAWASHAURI vipi wachezaji chipukizi?

    Wasififishe talanta zao kwani ni zawadi kutoka Maulana. Pili, wafanye bidii wakati wa mazoezi huku wakiamini wao ni wachezaji bora kwani jambo huanzia kwa kukata shauri akilini. Tatu, wasikate tamaa hata wakishindwa kwani kufeli si kujaribu bali kutojaribu.

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  • THE WOMAN BEHIND THE SPORT

    By: Valyne Laibuta

    Kalaine Kathambi is a student at Daystar University who embodies excellence. She is not only pursuing her degree in Marketing but she is also one of the most valued female players for the Daystar Hockey team. Outside school, she also plays for the Reiners Hockey Club.

    Her love for hockey began in high school when she was in form two and once she picked up that hockey stick, she has never looked back. She describes hockey as being “thrilling” and unlike other sports, hockey puts more emphasis on the skill and technique. Therefore, due to her zeal and hard work she has perfected her skills and technique on the hockey pitch, allowing her to be able to go against the boys without even breaking a sweat.

    For Kathambi, hockey is more than a hobby because it has provided her with the platform where she has been able to find herself and grow into the strong woman she is. She adds, “Hockey has become her outlet” when she has been experiencing a bad day and needs to release that negative energy. Unlike other players, she goes that extra mile such as going to train even on days that the team is not training, investing in the best hockey gear and going for a morning jog to ensure that she is at the top of her game.

    “As females, our voices are not heard,” she said, “During tournaments, 16 male teams are enrolled while only 8 female teams are enrolled”. This is one of the challenges she has faced as a female hockey player. It is saddening that female hockey players can put in the work but still not be valued as highly as men. Another challenge she has faced is the injuries she has sustained during training, matches, and tournaments. She jokingly describes the injuries she has sustained such as “having cut my lip by being hit by the ball”.

    “It was the last game I played in high school” describes Kathambi when asked about her most emotional match, “it was a goal that was meant to determine if we would make it for nationals and I could not score”. She adds that she hopes to redeem herself when she meets the goalkeeper from that last match in their upcoming match against Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

    Lastly, she concludes by urging the Ministry of Sports, culture and the Arts to invest more in hockey and encourage more high school hockey players to pursue hockey once joining universities. She hopes to see more and more people joining her to train with the Daystar Falcons.

  • Behind The Lens

    Wanjiru Njoroge is a third-year student pursuing her degree in Business Logistics at Daystar University. However, there is more to her than what meets the eye. Wanjiru is a photographer focusing mostly on nature photography. Her photography Instagram page, @_rushema_, is flooded with the most breath-taking pictures of the environment and people she interacts with. This week I had the pleasure of engaging her in a conversation about her photography.

    She pays homage to her father who is a photographer too, she credits him as her inspiration for starting her photography journey. She grew up watching how he interacted with the surroundings and was able to capture the moments, she too wanted to capture her memories and the wonderful experiences she encounters.

    Wanjiru explained her fascination with photography began in 2015 and she described herself being particularly drawn to nature photography, though she has doubled in portraits and event photography. She is quoted saying “her heart has a special place for nature”, not only does nature bring her peace but also through her photography she has a platform to inspire people to take action against climate change by showing the beauty and importance of the environment through her photos. Her most notable photo series is the ‘Sunset series’ where she has been able to capture the sunset here in Athi River so beautifully.

    For Wanjiru, photography is more than a hobby and she continues to practice it because “it makes me feel calm” and allows her one her worst days to take that negative energy and to channel it into photography into positive energy. She hopes to transition to documentary series type photography by showing what life is from a day to day basis, the good and the bad moments. She encourages those who want to take up photography or are currently practicing it to do what they love and to do it to the best of their ability.

    Lastly, I asked her for the most embarrassing shoot she had and she went on to say once when working during a baby shower shoot, she was having such a lovely time and the clients were so friendly and there was so much food, that she forgot that she was supposed to be working but instead felt like part of the party.

    I had a lovely time, interviewing her and I hope that she can inspire more people to venture into photography particularly using photography to shed light on the challenging issues in our society such as climate change. Do not forget to check out her Instagram page: www.instagram.com/_rushema_/