Kenya launches TechPlomacy connective to champion inclusive digital future

Kenya has officially launched the TechPlomacy Connective, a multi-stakeholder diplomatic and innovation platform  to integrate diplomacy and technology.

 

This is in abid to address global challenges in the digital era.

 

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi noted the strategic role of technology diplomacy in Kenya’s foreign policy and development agenda, terming it a catalyst for regional growth and sustainable digital transformation.

 

“Kenya’s Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2025 places technology diplomacy at the core of our international engagement, therefore, we aim to transform Nairobi into a global multilateral and financial hub,”  Mudavadi said.

 

He highlighted Kenya’s pioneering contributions in global digital policy, including its role as the only African country in the International Network of AI-Safety Institutes, and its leadership in championing the first-ever United Nations resolution on Artificial Intelligence.

 

The CS said TechPlomacy Connective will serve as a collaborative framework for policymakers, tech leaders, and civil society to co-create inclusive and ethical digital policies.

 

The initiative is also expected to foster regional innovation through public-private partnerships and knowledge-sharing platforms.

 

Mudavadi said the government is establishing a sustainable AI coalition with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

It will also launch Africa’s first AI factory in collaboration with Cassava Technologies adding that Kenya was recently appointed as a co-facilitator of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Plasticity Process alongside Albania.

Calling for a global re-imagination of multilateralism, the Prime Cabinet Secretary emphasised that Kenya is well-positioned to be a hub for cross-sector digital cooperation.

 

“With over 300 startups, global tech giants, and world-class incubators, Nairobi is powering Africa’s Silicon Savannah with renewable energy and innovative solutions,” he noted.

 

Making his remarks, Ambassador Philip Thigo, Kenya’s Special Envoy on Technology, echoed the urgency of moving beyond talk to tangible action.

 

“The digital future belongs to everyone, but only if it’s built on resilience, safety, trust, and inclusion, as initiative is about empowering nations and ensuring that emerging technologies are developed with a human-first approach,” Thigo said.

 

He stressed that tech-diplomacy must address more than technical aspects by upholding human rights, digital equity, and sustainability.

 

He also emphasised cybersecurity and data governance as critical components of modern diplomatic relations.

 

Concurrently, Dr. Amandeep Gill, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, lauded Kenya’s leadership in technology diplomacy, urging countries to unite in building equitable AI governance frameworks.

 

“A third of the world’s future tech talent will come from Africa, but Africa holds less than one per cent of global data center capacity. That gap is morally and practically untenable,” Dr Gill stated.