About the challenge
AI Hackathon 2026, JacHacks Kenya Edition is a free, virtual hackathon from Friday 16 to Saturday 17 October 2026. Join from anywhere, form a team of 1 to 4, and build an AI-powered project overnight using Jac, the open-source, AI-native programming language from Jaseci Labs. Hack the future with Jac.
Presented by Jaseci Labs. The main track is Hack the Future with Jac: build working software that makes real use of Jac and Jaseci, with at least 80% of your code in Jac.
What makes it special
- $1,000 in prizes: $500, $300 and $200 for the top three projects.
- Free and virtual: no cost to take part, and you can join from anywhere.
- All skill levels welcome.
- Keynote and check-ins: a 30-minute keynote on AI innovation at the start, plus two mid-hackathon check-ins with the organising and technical support teams.
- Community on Discord: the official server is where you check in and get help.
Schedule (East Africa Time, EAT)
| When | What happens |
| Fri 3:30–4:00 PM | Virtual check-in and registration; join the Discord server |
| Fri 4:00–4:15 PM | Welcome and opening remarks |
| Fri 4:15–4:30 PM | Hackathon briefing: rules, judging, prizes, submissions |
| Fri 4:30–5:00 PM | Keynote on AI innovation and building with Jac |
| Fri 5:00 PM | Hacking begins |
| Fri 5:00–7:00 PM | First hacking session |
| Fri 7:00–7:30 PM | Optional dinner break |
| Fri 7:30–10:00 PM | Second hacking session |
| Fri 10:00 PM onwards | Overnight hacking |
| Sat 12:00–7:30 AM | Overnight hacking continues |
| Sat 7:30–8:30 AM | Mid-hackathon check-in, session 1 |
| Sat 8:00–10:00 AM | Development and technical support |
| Sat 10:00 AM–12:30 PM | Final development session |
| Sat 12:30–1:30 PM | Mid-hackathon check-in, session 2 |
| Sat 1:30–3:00 PM | Final testing and demo preparation |
| Sat 3:00–3:30 PM | Final submission window |
| Sat 3:30 PM | Submissions close (strict deadline) |
| After 3:30 PM | Virtual judging |
| Within 3–5 working days | Winners announced |
Get started
- Register on this page. Every team member must register.
- Join the Discord server: discord.gg/VAAbuuzmK. It is part of check-in.
- Form a team of up to 4 people, or join solo.
- Read up on Jac: the docs are at jaclang.org/docs/latest, and the Jaseci site is jaseci.org.
- Check in on Friday 16 October from 3:30 PM EAT. Every team member checks in before kickoff.
- Star the Jac repo at github.com/jaseci-labs/jac. It is part of the submission checklist.
Hosted on Devpost