Two community projects have just won a combined KSh2 million in the 2026 LG Ambassador Challenge. One is a beekeeping initiative from Sisia Village in Nandi County, and the other is a science and computer lab project for a school in Makueni County. Each took home KSh1 million after standing out among this year’s entries. Here is a closer look at what made both projects worthy winners.
The Sisia Village Sustainable Beekeeping and Economic Empowerment Initiative stood out because it does not stop at training alone. It links beekeeping training, honey production, and market access into one connected system, which makes it far easier for the project to keep running on its own after the funding is used up. Beekeeping also gives families an income source that does not depend on rainfall patterns or shifting growing seasons, which matters a lot as climate change puts pressure on traditional farming. This made the project feel especially relevant to the everyday struggles many rural households in Nandi County are already facing.
The project’s goals were also specific and easy to measure. It plans to train 40 youth and women in modern beekeeping methods, and expects to help 30 households, about 120 people, grow their household income. It has set a clear annual honey production target of 1,500 kilograms, giving judges confidence that this was a carefully thought out plan. On top of that, as the bees work, they naturally improve pollination and support biodiversity in the surrounding area, which benefits farms and ecosystems well beyond the beekeepers themselves. This gave the initiative an added layer of value that went beyond just creating income for the participants.
The Makueni school project won for very different but equally compelling reasons. The Laboratory Equipment and Computers project for Syiluni Primary and Junior Secondary School directly addresses a shortage that many rural schools quietly struggle with. Students in this underserved community previously had little or no access to hands on science learning or digital tools. Rather than offering a one time boost, the project will fully furnish a science laboratory and add 10 computers for the school, giving students and teachers ongoing access to hands on experiments and digital literacy training that can shape learning outcomes for years to come.
Access to science labs and computers is often taken for granted in urban schools, but remains out of reach for many rural ones. By closing this gap, the project gives Syiluni’s students a stronger foundation for future studies and careers in science and technology fields.
Both projects reflect the spirit of the LG Ambassador Challenge, which is now in its seventh year and looks for community driven solutions that create lasting change. They build on the legacy of past beneficiaries such as Decipe Children’s Home and Rebirth of a Queen. Together, this year’s two winners show how thoughtful, locally rooted ideas can transform livelihoods and education at the same time. Since the programme began, LG has now awarded over KSh15 million to community initiatives across Kenya.