LONDON, United Kingdom – Ugandan technology entrepreneur Shifra Ainomugisha has been named the 2026 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year after developing artificial intelligence and solar-powered agricultural technologies that help reduce post-harvest losses, improve food security and strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers.

Ainomugisha received the award at the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards in London, where she was selected from nearly 1,000 applicants across the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries. She was also recognised as Africa’s regional winner under Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger.

Through Solafam Uganda Ltd, Ainomugisha has developed an integrated climate-smart farming model that combines solar-powered cold storage, renewable energy irrigation systems and an AI-powered advisory platform to help farmers preserve crops, improve productivity and increase rural incomes.

The innovation was inspired by her family’s tomato farm in western Uganda, where poor storage infrastructure resulted in nearly half of each harvest being lost before reaching the market.

Solafam’s technologies address key challenges facing African agriculture, including inadequate storage, unreliable electricity, limited extension services and poor market access. Its Lean AI platform, delivered through WhatsApp and being adapted for USSD-enabled mobile phones, provides farmers with real-time guidance on planting, irrigation, pest management, post-harvest handling and market opportunities.

According to the company, participating farmers have reduced post-harvest losses by approximately 30% while increasing household incomes by nearly 28%.

The enterprise also prioritises women farmers, recognising their critical role in agricultural production and the need to improve access to technology, finance and extension services.

The recognition highlights the growing contribution of youth-led innovation to Africa’s agricultural transformation, with digital technologies, renewable energy and climate-smart farming increasingly viewed as essential tools for improving food security, strengthening rural livelihoods and building resilience to climate change.

As governments and investors increase support for agricultural innovation across the continent, Ainomugisha’s success demonstrates how locally developed technologies can help modernise farming, reduce food waste and support more sustainable and inclusive agricultural growth.