VOTERS WALL MAKING HEADLINES IN KENYA

OUK success stories

The Open University of Kenya (OUK) continues to make strides in digital innovation, with its latest achievement revolutionizing campus elections. Through VotersWall, a cutting-edge digital voting system, OUK has set a new benchmark for secure, transparent and efficient electoral processes in learning institutions across Kenya.

Developed by a student of Innovation

At the core of this success was cybersecurity, a key component in safeguarding voter data and maintaining election integrity. Developed by Innocent Kiboto, a student of the Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics at OUK, the system employs end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication and real-time monitoring to prevent tampering and unauthorized access. These robust security measures fostered trust among students, administrators and election stakeholders, positioning VotersWall as a game-changer in digital elections.

Revolutionizing Campus Elections

Following its triumph at Kiambu National Polytechnic, VotersWall is rapidly gaining national recognition. Leading institutions such as Kisii National Polytechnic, Kisumu National Polytechnic, Kabete National Polytechnic, Friends National Polytechnic - Kaimosi, Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology and Mawego National Polytechnic have already embraced the platform, with many others exploring its adoption.

Shaping the Future of Digital Democracy

The Open University of Kenya proudly celebrates this milestone, highlighting how homegrown innovations in cybersecurity can reshape democracy in the digital age. With its success in campus elections, VotersWall is poised to revolutionize voting systems beyond Kenya’s borders, offering a future of secure, transparent and efficient electoral processes. VotersWall isn’t just a voting system—it’s the future of digital democracy. 

ShujaaPay: The Homegrown Fintech Challenging Global Payment Inequality

For years, Africa’s digital workforce has powered the global gig economy from behind laptop screens in Nairobi, Lagos, Kigali and Accra. They have written code, analyzed data, designed systems and solved complex problems for clients thousands of miles away. Yet beneath the promise of borderless work lies a painful contradiction: while talent moves freely across the internet, money does not.

For many African freelancers, receiving international payments remains a silent struggle marked by frozen accounts, unexplained restrictions, punishing exchange rates and endless transaction fees. What should be a seamless reward for global work often turns into an exhausting battle against a financial system that appears designed to keep African professionals at the margins.

Among those who experienced this frustration firsthand was Rewel Mumbo, a Kenyan freelance data scientist at Open University of Kenya and consultant who spent more than five years navigating the harsh realities of cross-border payments. Despite successfully delivering world-class services to international clients, accessing his earnings became a recurring nightmare.

“Imagine working for weeks on a project only for your payment to be frozen without explanation,” Mumbo says. “The internet gave us access to the world, but the financial system kept reminding us where we came from.”

Mr. Rewel Mumbo second left explaining how Shujaa app works.

Like countless freelancers across the continent, Mumbo initially relied on PayPal and similar payment platforms. But instead of financial freedom, he encountered repeated account limitations, delayed transfers, and heavy losses through foreign exchange charges and hidden fees. The deeper problem, he says, was not merely technological,  it was structural.

“There is an invisible penalty attached to being African in the digital economy,” he explains. “Many global payment systems treat African accounts as suspicious by default. That realization changed everything for me.”

The frustration pushed Mumbo into months of intensive research in 2024, exploring emerging financial technologies capable of bypassing outdated correspondent banking systems. His investigations into Web3 infrastructure, stablecoins and the Interledger Protocol (ILP) opened a new possibility: a borderless payment ecosystem designed specifically for underserved digital workers in the Global South.

By late 2025, the research evolved into code and development officially began on ShujaaPay — a fintech platform founded by Mumbo to reimagine how African freelancers receive money from across the world.

Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Data Science at Open University of Kenya, Mumbo says the journey of building ShujaaPay transformed him from a frustrated freelancer into a builder of digital infrastructure aimed at reshaping Africa’s place in the global economy.

Unlike traditional remittance services and centralized payment systems, ShujaaPay is built on open settlement rails intended to eliminate punitive exchange spreads, reduce transaction delays, and remove the geographical bias that continues to disadvantage African users.

Its mission is both simple and ambitious: when a consultant in Nairobi completes work for a client in New York, payment should arrive instantly, fully and directly to a local wallet, mobile money account, or bank account without unnecessary intermediaries.

“I did not build ShujaaPay simply to create another fintech company,” Mumbo says. “I built the tool I wish existed when I started freelancing. If African talent can compete globally, then African workers deserve financial systems that respect their value.”

As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, platforms like ShujaaPay reflect a broader shift taking shape across the continent- a movement driven not only by innovation, but by a growing demand for financial dignity, inclusion, and sovereignty.

For many young African freelancers, the future of work may already be global. The challenge now is ensuring the future of finance finally catches up.

3. From a Family Challenge to a Continental Solution: How Austin Apollo Created FAMPESA

In many African communities, collective saving is more than a financial practice—it is a way of life. Families contribute towards emergency funds, friends form investment groups, and welfare associations pool resources to support members during difficult times. Yet despite the benefits of these arrangements, many groups continue to face one persistent challenge: trust.

For Austin Apollo, a student innovator undertaking Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics at the Open University of Kenya, this challenge became the inspiration for a groundbreaking digital solution known as FAMPESA.

A Problem Close to Home

The idea behind FAMPESA was born from personal experiences that exposed the vulnerabilities of traditional savings groups.

In one instance, Austin's family had established a savings scheme where members made monthly contributions to create an emergency fund. The money was entrusted to a treasurer and everyone believed it was safe. However, when an emergency arose and the family needed access to the funds, they discovered that the money had been spent without the group's knowledge.

A similar situation unfolded among a group of friends who had appointed a respected businessman as their treasurer. Unknown to the members, he had used the group's savings to purchase stock for his business. Although he intended to return the funds later, the incident revealed a serious weakness in the management of pooled finances.

"These experiences made me realize that many savings groups are not failing because people do not want to save," Austin explains. "They struggle because there is often too much trust placed in one person and not enough transparency for everyone involved."

Transforming an Idea into Innovation

Determined to find a solution, Austin began developing FAMPESA, a digital platform designed to help families, friends, welfare groups, investment clubs and savings groups securely pool and manage funds with complete transparency and accountability.

Unlike traditional savings methods, where one individual often controls the group's finances, FAMPESA introduces a system of shared oversight and collective decision-making.

Through the platform, members can:

• Monitor contributions in real time. 
• Receive instant notifications whenever funds are deposited or withdrawn. 
• Track account balances and financial activity. 
• Participate in approving withdrawals. 
• Access secure financial records and reports. 

By ensuring that all members have visibility over group finances, FAMPESA significantly reduces opportunities for misuse of funds while strengthening trust among participants.

Building Confidence Through Transparency

One of the platform's most distinctive features is its commitment to accountability.

Rather than relying solely on a treasurer's records, every transaction is visible to authorized group members. This transparency helps prevent misunderstandings, disputes and financial mismanagement that often undermine informal savings groups.

"People want to save together, but they also want assurance that their money is safe," says Austin. "FAMPESA creates a system where everyone can verify what is happening with the group's funds at any time."

The platform also maintains digital records, making it easier for groups to track contributions, generate reports and preserve financial histories.

Positive Reception from Communities

Since its development, FAMPESA has attracted considerable interest from families, chamas, welfare groups and investment clubs.

Many potential users have expressed enthusiasm about a platform that removes the risks associated with placing complete financial control in the hands of a single individual. Others appreciate the ability to stay informed and involved in financial decisions regardless of their location.

Community members who have experienced disputes over savings and investments see FAMPESA as a practical solution that combines technology with good governance.

The positive feedback has strengthened Austin's belief that the platform addresses a widespread challenge affecting millions of people across Africa.

A Vision Beyond Kenya

Looking ahead, Austin envisions FAMPESA becoming one of Africa's leading digital platforms for collaborative saving and financial management.

Over the next three to five years, he hopes to expand the platform across Kenya before introducing it to other African countries where informal savings groups play a critical role in economic empowerment.

His long-term vision is ambitious: to enable millions of people to save, invest and manage group finances securely while promoting financial inclusion, transparency and accountability.

As digital innovation continues to transform financial services across the continent, FAMPESA represents a powerful example of how local challenges can inspire solutions with far-reaching impact.

For Austin Apollo, what began as a family problem has evolved into a mission to build trust in community finance—one group, one family and one transaction at a time.

"Innovation is not always about creating something entirely new," Austin reflects. "Sometimes it is about solving an everyday problem in a way that improves people's lives."

ENDS