Kenya is positioning itself to lead Africa’s digital transformation, with a focus on software and artificial intelligence (AI), Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has said.
Mudavadi made the announcement during the inaugural Software and Artificial Intelligence Summit held at Moi University’s Annex Campus in Eldoret on November 10, 2025. He described the summit as a historic milestone in Kenya’s digital journey, conveying President William Ruto’s support for the country’s ambitions to become Africa’s leading hub for tech innovation.
“Just as our champions shatter records on the track, we are here to position Kenya as Africa’s coding champion,” Mudavadi said, urging the nation’s youth, who make up 60% of Africa’s population, to seize opportunities in the growing tech ecosystem.
The summit highlighted Kenya’s achievements in digital innovation, from M-Pesa’s global fintech revolution to the government’s eCitizen platform, which now offers over 22,000 services. Mudavadi also pointed to advances in digital health, e-procurement, and the expansion of national fibre coverage by over 37,000 kilometres in three years, alongside public Wi-Fi reaching about two million monthly users.
The PSC emphasized Kenya’s commitment to nurturing talent, citing programs like Ajira, Jitume, and the Digital Hubs Programme, which have trained over 600,000 youth in coding, data science, and digital entrepreneurship. Plans to establish 1,450 innovation hubs across the country aim to ensure equitable access to technology and innovation opportunities.
Mudavadi also announced that Moi University will host a new Centre for Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) to support applied research in collaboration with Konza Technopolis and the ICT Authority.
“The success of this summit will not be measured by speeches, but by the partnerships formed and investments mobilised,” he said, adding, “Kenya is ready to build, ready to innovate, and ready to lead Africa’s digital transformation.”
With a strong focus on youth empowerment, policy innovation, and responsible AI governance, Kenya is now setting the stage to become a continental leader in software and AI development.
