At 21, Bob Wandati is quickly emerging as one of Garsen’s most promising young innovators. But his journey into technology wasn’t straightforward.
Raised in a region often overshadowed by limited opportunities and recurring conflict, Wandati initially set his sights on a career in Nutrition and Dietetics. However, financial and systemic barriers put that dream on hold. Instead of giving up, he pivoted.
“I couldn’t just sit at home doing nothing,” he says.
That sense of urgency led him to Kijiji Connect, a grassroots initiative offering digital literacy to local youth. There, he was introduced to the basics of computer skills—a turning point that would ignite his interest in the tech world.
Soon after, Wandati joined the Digitech Lab Tech Training, a program designed to equip young people with practical technology skills. He quickly immersed himself in web development, and within just two months, had developed two ambitious projects aimed at addressing both local and national needs.
One of his projects, the Peace Building System, was born out of personal experience. “Having grown up in an environment where conflict was the norm, I wanted to find a way to contribute to peacebuilding using technology,” he explains.
His second project, Lipa Bills, is a mobile money invoicing system tailored for Mobile banking invoicing system users. It is designed to streamline small business transactions, offering an easy-to-use interface for entrepreneurs and informal traders.
Wandati’s progress was swift. After mastering the basics of web development, he returned to Kijiji Connect—not as a student, but as a trainer. He taught a website development class, guiding fellow youth in building their own websites.
“I used to think my options were limited,” he says. “Now, I see how technology empowers us to create solutions and build a better future for our communities.”
Looking ahead, Wandati is determined to become a full-stack software developer and eventually launch a tech start-up focused on solving community problems. He also remains committed to paying it forward by mentoring and training other young people from his hometown.
Yet, his original passion for the medical field hasn’t faded. He hopes that the skills and income gained through tech will one day enable him to pursue further studies—still weighing whether to study Nutrition and Dietetics or Pharmaceutical Sciences.
In a country where access to quality education and jobs remains uneven, Wandati’s story stands out as a testament to the power of local initiatives, self-determination, and the transformative potential of technology.