Kenya has intensified its push to position itself as a leading digital and artificial intelligence (AI) hub in Africa, with the government pursuing strategic international partnerships aimed at equipping young people with future-ready digital skills while advancing inclusive technological innovation.
Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy William Kabogo made the case for Kenya’s digital transformation agenda during a series of high-level engagements held alongside the AI for Good Global Summit and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum in Geneva, Switzerland.
Their discussions focused on collaboration on digital skills, computing education and preparing Kenya’s young people for an AI-driven future.
At the summit, Kabogo held talks with Raspberry Pi Foundation Chief Executive Officer Philip Colligan CBE and the Foundation’s Global Director for Partnerships, Ann Burton-Corea, where discussions centred on expanding collaboration in computing education, digital skills development and artificial intelligence training for Kenyan learners.
The proposed partnership seeks to strengthen Kenya’s efforts to prepare young people for an AI-driven economy by combining the country’s growing digital infrastructure with globally recognised expertise in computing education.
Kabogo noted that Kenya has already established a strong foundation through flagship initiatives such as the Digital Superhighway Programme, National Digital Hubs, Konza Technopolis and the development of a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
He said the country’s next challenge is to transform those investments into practical opportunities by producing a highly skilled workforce capable of driving innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth.
“The opportunity now is to turn that infrastructure into skilled people, real innovation and lifelong opportunity for every learner, teacher and community,” Kabogo said.
He described the Raspberry Pi Foundation as a global leader in computing and AI education, saying collaboration between the two parties could help create a robust talent pipeline to power Kenya’s expanding digital economy.
The partnership is expected to benefit students, teachers and communities by improving access to quality computing education, coding programmes and AI learning resources, ultimately increasing employability and innovation among Kenyan youth.
Kabogo also represented Kenya at the WSIS Ministerial Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation and Inclusion, where ministers from around the world discussed strategies for ensuring emerging technologies benefit all people.
Addressing the forum, he observed that despite rapid technological progress, nearly one-third of the world’s population remains without internet access, warning that artificial intelligence alone cannot bridge the digital divide without deliberate government policies and sustained investment.
He highlighted Kenya’s achievements in digital public service delivery, revealing that more than 22,000 government services are now available through the eCitizen platform, serving over 13 million Kenyans.
Kabogo further pointed to Kenya’s National AI Strategy, which prioritises people-centred innovation, alongside the Data Protection Act enacted in 2019, saying both frameworks are essential in building public confidence and trust in digital technologies.
While celebrating the country’s progress, the Cabinet Secretary acknowledged that Kenya, like many developing nations, continues to face significant challenges in areas such as digital skills development, computing infrastructure and access to high-quality data required for AI innovation.
He announced Kenya’s commitment to implement the resolutions adopted at the WSIS Forum by translating them into a national digital roadmap, with progress reports expected from 2027.
In another high-level session during the AI for Good Summit, Kabogo participated in the “Cities That Think and Act” workshop, where global leaders explored how emerging technologies—including agentic AI, physical AI and the Citiverse—are reshaping urban governance and public service delivery.
Kabogo argued that Kenya’s smart city journey began long before the emergence of artificial intelligence, crediting the success of M-Pesa with building public trust in digital services.
He said that trust remains the cornerstone upon which future smart city technologies must be built.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, Kenya is leveraging that foundation through continued investment in Konza Technopolis, which he described as a long-term project designed to support smart urban infrastructure, innovation and digital entrepreneurship.
He emphasised that public participation must remain central to the deployment of AI technologies and that strong legal safeguards are necessary to ensure that human beings remain accountable for decisions informed by artificial intelligence.
The workshop also saw the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) unveil new standards and tools aimed at promoting people-centred smart cities, an initiative that now supports more than 300 cities globally.
Kabogo reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to contributing to the development of international AI standards while ensuring technological advancement remains inclusive, ethical and responsive to citizens’ needs.
The international engagements are expected to strengthen Kenya’s digital transformation agenda by attracting strategic partnerships, expanding access to AI and computing education, enhancing digital literacy among young people, creating employment opportunities in the technology sector and accelerating innovation across the economy.
The government’s continued investment in digital infrastructure, combined with international collaboration and policy reforms, is also expected to improve delivery of public services, enhance digital inclusion, support smart city development and position Kenya as one of Africa’s leading centres for artificial intelligence and digital innovation.
