Fortinet To Spotlight Cybersecurity At GITEX KENYA

As digital adoption gathers speed, cybersecurity is emerging as one of the region’s most urgent priorities.

Fortinet, a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security, will be taking part in AI Everything Kenya x Gitex Kenya to spotlight cybersecurity as a foundational layer of digital transformation.

Imran Chaudhrey, Country Manager – East Africa at Fortinet, said the region is making bold moves toward AI-driven economic transformation through investment and regional collaboration initiatives and cybersecurity will play an important role.

“Artificial intelligence is no longer an experimental technology,” he said, pointing to projects such as the East African Community’s Regional AI Technologies Fund and Uganda’s plans for Africa’s first sovereign AI factory. “It is transforming industries and unlocking new opportunities across every sector, and cybersecurity must keep pace. At AI Everything Kenya x Gitex Kenya, Fortinet will showcase how a platform approach to cybersecurity allows organisations to protect both their IT and OT infrastructures from increasingly widespread and sophisticated cyber-attacks.”

 1. What are the most compelling opportunities AI presents for governments, industries, and emerging digital ecosystems in East Africa over the next decade?

East Africa is taking the AI opportunity at its horns: public-private partnerships and funding initiatives are producing solid plans on AI infrastructure investments that look to become solid foundations for thriving AI-powered digital ecosystems. From the recent announcement by the East African Community to establish a Regional AI Technologies Fund, the $10 billion joint initiative by the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme to accelerate AI adoption and job creation to Uganda’s plan to host Africa’s first sovereign AI factory, regional stakeholders are working together to secure sustained financing to ensure successful outcomes. It is also interesting to see the region move to a more sovereign outlook, focusing on regional critical infrastructure and locally hosted data. AI provides an exciting opportunity for East Africa and it is important for strong cybersecurity defences to be woven into the new architectures.

2. East Africa, and Kenya, is fast emerging as a hub for AI and advanced technology. What do you see as the most urgent barriers to AI adoption across the region, and how can AI specialist companies or distributors help address them?

Everyone is understandably very excited about the economic potential of AI. However, it is absolutely critical to get the framework and architecture right, especially in relation to cybersecurity. With the digital ecosystem growing and more critical infrastructure being digitally interconnected, the threat surface is expanding immensely. AI is lowering the barriers to cybercrime, offering malicious actors with little technical skills the opportunity to automate processes and conduct cyber attacks at speed and scale. It is therefore essential for defenders to focus on cyber threat as a key element of organisational risk and cybersecurity as central to resilience.

Fortinet has a long history in East Africa and has built a strong network of partners to support the regional players on their secure AI journey.

3. What key innovations/AI-driven solutions will you be showcasing at AI Everything Kenya? How are these technologies/solutions designed to support regional enterprises, governments, and fast-growing sectors?

Fortinet will spotlight its AI-powered cybersecurity solutions, emphasizing how intelligent automation is transforming threat detection and response. The showcase will feature innovations across Simplifying Security Operation (SecOps), offering a practical look at how AI and human expertise converge to stop threats in their tracks, in addition to Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Operational Technology (OT) security, and secure networking—all designed to help organizations protect distributed environments with speed and precision.

4. What value do events like AI Everything Kenya bring to the region’s technology ecosystem, and what partnerships/outcomes are you hoping to cultivate during this year’s edition?

We consider AI Everything Kenya as a key opportunity to meet our partners and enhance our relationships in East Africa. Events like AI everything are important for exchanging valuable information and understanding what challenges and opportunities the local community faces. With so much focus on AI in the region this year, AI Everything Kenya is the place to be.