NAIROBI, Kenya — East Africa’s largest artificial intelligence and technology gathering officially opened in Nairobi on Monday, with regional leaders, global investors, technology executives, and policymakers converging to shape what organisers described as a new African AI blueprint focused on sovereignty, inclusion, and infrastructure development.
The inaugural AI EVERYTHING KENYA X GITEX KENYA summit, organised by GITEX in partnership with the Office of the Special Envoy on Technology in Kenya, is taking place from May 19 to 21 at the Sarit Expo Centre and the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.
The event has brought together more than 400 executives, policymakers, investors, and innovators from across Africa and beyond for discussions on the future of artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, digital policy, cybersecurity, health technology, agriculture, and financial systems.
Opening the summit, Philip Thigo said Africa must position itself not merely as a consumer of artificial intelligence, but as a key global investment destination and innovation hub.
“Africa’s role in AI must be articulated as an investment agenda. AI is not about ICT; AI is literally AI everything,” Thigo said.
“The Silicon Savanna has come of age. This next chapter is no longer just about the mobile revolution that began in 2006 and 2007, but about the potential to sustain that momentum through globally competitive AI infrastructure, innovation ecosystems, investment, and new industries.”
The summit comes amid growing competition among countries and regions seeking to establish dominance in artificial intelligence infrastructure, talent, and regulation.
Speakers at the forum repeatedly stressed that Africa’s AI future should be built around local realities, languages, and development priorities rather than imported models.
Nkundwe Mwasaga said East African countries must work together to strengthen digital skills, telecommunications infrastructure, cybersecurity, research, and innovation.
“The transformation of businesses, industries, and economies will lead to digital sovereignty in our region,” he said.
One of the key themes dominating discussions was digital sovereignty, with policymakers and technology firms debating how African countries can control their data, AI systems, and computing infrastructure without isolating themselves from global innovation ecosystems.
Snehar Shah said Kenya was emerging as a regional AI infrastructure hub due to its renewable energy capacity, cloud expansion, and regulatory environment.
“Kenya is very well positioned. We have pragmatic regulation, we have data protection frameworks, we have renewable power, and we are now bringing hyperscale cloud infrastructure into the country,” Shah said.
Technology firms also highlighted the importance of developing African-focused AI systems capable of supporting local languages and regional use cases.
Winnie Mangeni said East Africa was increasingly positioning itself as a producer rather than merely a consumer of AI technologies.
“East Africa is not waiting to be a consumer of AI; it is actively building the infrastructure, talent, and policy frameworks to lead,” Mangeni said.
The summit further explored how artificial intelligence could transform sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, banking, energy, trade, and climate resilience across Africa.
Delegates also discussed the need for harmonised AI regulations, cross-border collaboration, and trusted governance systems to ensure the technology supports inclusive economic growth.
Trixie LohMirmand described artificial intelligence as a geopolitical and economic restructuring force that could redefine global competitiveness.
“East Africa has already shown the world how it can leapfrog industries through digital innovation, and now has the opportunity to become a globally competitive AI and infrastructure powerhouse,” she said.
The summit continues through Wednesday, with the AI EVERYTHING KENYA EXPO expected to showcase emerging AI technologies, startups, and infrastructure projects from across Africa and international markets.
