Kenya has declared its ambition to become Africa’s leading hub for software and artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, marking a new frontier in Kenya’s digital economy.
The announcement came from Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi during the inaugural Software and Artificial Intelligence Summit held on November 10, 2025, at Moi University’s Annex Campus in Eldoret. The event brought together government leaders, tech industry experts, and innovators from across Africa to chart a roadmap for Kenya’s digital future.
Mudavadi termed the summit a historical milestone in Kenya’s digital transformation, saying it reflects the vision of President William Ruto to position Kenya as Africa’s digital powerhouse.
“Eldoret, with its legacy of excellence, resilience, and unyielding spirit, is the perfect birthplace for this summit,” Mudavadi said. “Just as our champions shatter records on the track, we are here to position Kenya as Africa’s coding champion.”
The Prime CS emphasized that with 60 percent of Africa’s population under 25, the continent’s youth must seize emerging opportunities in technology. He urged Kenyan youth to embrace discipline, competence, and integrity as key ingredients to innovation success.
“You can talk about determination and resilience, but without discipline and integrity, all your efforts get lost. To be world-class innovators, you must work on discipline and competence to see results at the end of the day,” he advised.
Mudavadi observed that the summit has come at a defining moment for the global economy, with software and AI driving new industries. The global software market is now valued at over US$700 billion, while AI is projected to generate US$1.7 trillion in value within the next year.
“These are not abstract statistics,” he said. “They represent opportunities that Kenya and Africa must seize. In this new economy, software is power, AI is advantage, and talent is currency toward solving real-world problems.”
He commended Kenya’s impressive digital track record, from the fintech revolution brought about by M-Pesa to the eCitizen platform, which has now succeeded in availing over 22,000 government services online. He also mentioned progress on digital health, e-procurement, and public sector digitization as assurances of Kenya’s growing innovation ecosystem.
He added that the summit also aligns with the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and global AI governance frameworks. Kenya’s priority, he said, is to empower youth, expand opportunities, and drive inclusive growth through technology.
According to Mudavadi, in the last three years alone, the government has managed to increase national fiber coverage by 37,000 kilometers, with over two million users taking advantage of public Wi-Fi hotspots every month. Fixed broadband adoption has also more than doubled, underscoring rapid digital inclusion.
“At Konza Technopolis, in partnership with the Open University of Kenya, we are nurturing the next generation of digital innovators, engineers, and researchers,” he said.
He launched Kenya’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030 that places AI as a national superpower in research, skills development, and responsible innovation.
Programs such as Ajira, Jitume, and the Digital Hubs Programme have already trained over 600,000 young Kenyans in coding, data science, and digital entrepreneurship. The government now plans to establish 1,450 innovation hubs, one in every ward, to ensure equal access to opportunity.
Additionally, Mudavadi announced that Moi University will host a Centre for Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), developed in collaboration with Konza Technopolis and the ICT Authority, to advance applied research and innovation.
“The success of this summit will not be measured by speeches, but by the partnerships formed and investments mobilized,” Mudavadi said, before declaring the summit officially open.
“Our message to the world is simple: Kenya is ready to build, ready to innovate, and ready to lead Africa’s digital transformation.”
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