AI EVERYTHING KENYA X GITEX KENYA Examine EA’s AI Role

East Africa’s AI race is no longer about whether the region can adopt the technology. It is about who will control the infrastructure, data, and talent shaping its digital future. While investment in AI is accelerating across sectors from banking to healthcare, the focus is now shifting towards how the region can move beyond consuming imported technologies and begin shaping its own AI systems, governance models, and infrastructure.

That debate will dominate discussions in Nairobi next week as global technology companies, fintech giants, policymakers, and cloud providers gather for the inaugural AI EVERYTHING KENYA X GITEX KENYA 2026.

Organised by inD, the global organiser of GITEX events, in partnership with Kenya’s Office of the Special Envoy on Technology, the two-venue event opens with a high-level Summit at the Sarit Expo Centre on 19 May before moving to a full-scale Expo and Conference at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre from 20–21 May. The event is designed to position Kenya as both an entry point for international companies into Africa and a launchpad for African innovation to scale globally.

East Africa’s AI Transformation Accelerates

Global tech companies attending AI EVERYTHING KENYA X GITEX KENYA 2026 say East Africa is entering a pivotal phase of digital transformation driven by AI, cloud infrastructure, fintech innovation, and cybersecurity investment.

Redington, a $11.8 billion technology ecosystem orchestrator, is among the headline international exhibitors this year. Sayantan Dev, Global Head, Software Solutions Group at Redington, said East Africa has a unique opportunity to use AI to address real-world challenges while unlocking economic growth. “AI in East Africa is not just about automation; it is about acceleration,” he said. “The region has a unique opportunity to leapfrog by applying AI to real challenges across healthcare, agriculture, financial inclusion, and public services.” 

Dev added: “What stands out most is the youth potential. With the right skills, infrastructure, and policy support, this generation can move from consuming AI to building it. Platforms like AI EVERYTHING KENYA X GITEX KENYA play an important role in bringing this ecosystem together and accelerating that shift from potential to execution.”

Fintech And Cloud Leaders Expand Regional Ambitions

Fintech innovation will also feature prominently, with companies exploring how AI can deepen financial inclusion and digital commerce. Mastercard, which powers digital payments across 210 countries and has applied AI for nearly two decades, will showcase a full suite of digital products, including its AI and agentic commerce products and concepts.

Shehryar Ali, Mastercard’s Senior Vice President and Country Manager for East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, said the company’s involvement at AI EVERYTHING KENYA X GITEX KENYA reflects its commitment to securing and expanding access to the digital economy: “At Mastercard, we have been leveraging AI to power real-time fraud detection and build inclusive tools that empower small businesses and underserved consumers. We are proud to join our peers at the event to ensure that as we scale these technologies across Africa. We are co-creating a secure, interoperable infrastructure that is driven by our global expertise and local knowledge.”

Smart Infrastructure And The Future Of Connected Cities

Beyond enterprise software and fintech, AI EVERYTHING KENYA X GITEX KENYA will also examine how AI is reshaping physical infrastructure and urban systems across Africa.

ZKTeco, a global leader in biometric verification, computer vision, and smart security solutions, will unveil smart security gates, biometric access control, AI-powered surveillance, and intelligent vehicle inspection technologies designed to support East Africa’s expanding ambitions for smart infrastructure.

“Organisations are moving away from standalone solutions and are instead seeking connected platforms that unify security, identity, workforce management, and operations into a single intelligent system,” said Mostafa Kamel, Director at ZKTeco East Africa.

A Defining Platform For Africa’s Digital Future

A plenary titled Global Voice: Africa’s Seat at the AI Governance Table at the Summit on 19 May will explore how African governments can influence global rules around data governance, AI safety, and access to emerging technologies. Speakers include Mactar Seck, Chief and Head of the Innovation and Technology Section of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and Kenya’s Ambassador to Belgium, Prof. Dr Bitange Ndemo.

Another panel on 19 May, Digital Sovereignty for the AI Age: Control Without Isolation, will examine one of the defining questions facing African economies: who controls the compute infrastructure, datasets, and AI systems powering critical services? Participants, including Snehar Shah, CEO, IXAfrica Datacenters, Frank Moreno Garcia, Chief AI Strategy Officer, European Artificial Intelligence Office, and Dennis Volemi, Group CTO, KCB Bank Group, will debate whether infrastructure, regulation, or data ownership should come first in Kenya’s digital sovereignty strategy.

As governments and businesses across East Africa accelerate investment into AI and cloud infrastructure, AI EVERYTHING KENYA X GITEX KENYA reflects a broader shift underway. East Africa’s AI conversation is evolving from adoption to ownership, and the event will shed light on how the region can translate that ambition into policy, investment, and homegrown innovation.