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The event was held at a star-studded awards ceremony in Cape Town hosted by Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner Billy Porter and award-winning television presenter Bonang Matheba.
Founded by Francis Nderitu, Keep IT Cool is revolutionising food preservation for small-scale farmers and fishers by installing solar-powered cold storage units at fishing hubs.
This solution reduces spoilage and waste, ensuring fresh produce reaches markets more efficiently, and helps farmers protect their livelihoods from the climate crisis.
The £1 million (Sh166 million) prize will enable KIC to expand its impact beyond East Africa, with plans to scale its operations in poultry, fruits, and vegetables.
“We are on a mission to revolutionise the food supply chain in East Africa. We are grateful for the recognition from The Earthshot Prize, and it is an important milestone for Keep IT Cool.
"We will continue to enhance market access, reduce waste and build climate resilience for small-scale fish and poultry farmers throughout the region,” Nderitu said.
The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William, aims to accelerate groundbreaking solutions that address urgent environmental issues.
Other winners of the Earthshot Prize
Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems (USA) – Winner in the Fix Our Climate category.
This company has developed a scalable technology that captures waste heat from heavy industries like cement and steel production and converts it into electricity, offering a transformative solution to reduce carbon emissions.
High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (Global) – Winner in the Revive Our Oceans category.
This alliance of 119 countries is focused on protecting 30% of the world’s land and oceans by 2030, playing a key role in the global effort to restore biodiversity and protect marine ecosystems.
Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative (Kazakhstan) – Winner in the Protect and Restore Nature category.
This initiative has played a crucial role in saving the critically endangered Saiga antelope from extinction and restoring the Golden Steppe in Kazakhstan, one of the world’s least protected ecosystems.
Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) (Ghana) – Winner in the Clean Our Air category.
GAYO is a youth-led organization that uses a "Zero Waste Model" to reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve waste management practices across Africa, with a particular focus on Ghana.