NAIROBI, May 20 (Xinhua) -- An award ceremony for finalists of the 2026 cybersecurity bootcamp for Kenyan college students sponsored by Chinese telecoms firm Huawei was held on Wednesday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

Twenty finalists who participated in the two-week bootcamp supported by Huawei and the Communications Authority of Kenya received prizes for demonstrating hands-on competence in securing cyberspace.

David Mugonyi, director general of the Communications Authority of Kenya, said the bootcamp aligns with the quest to create a critical mass of cybersecurity personnel, boosting the country's digital resilience.

Kenya's digital transformation, spanning mobile money, online public services, and cloud adoption, has been rapid but accompanied by sophisticated risks and building the capacity of local youth and investing in robust firewalls will be key to warding off cyber threats, Mugonyi said.

The 2026 bootcamp's student track involved rigorous cybersecurity training to enhance the resilience of Kenya's cyberspace, with the goal of building a pipeline of young talent capable of protecting the country's digital ecosystem. ■