Kenya Unveils AI & Cloud Pioneer Initiative at Huawei Cloud Summit 2025
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The Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy (MICDE) has launched the Kenya AI & Cloud Pioneer Initiative during the Huawei Cloud Kenya Summit 2025, held in Nairobi under the theme “Accelerate Intelligence, Ignite Smart Kenya. The initiative marks a bold step toward positioning Kenya as a regional leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing.
The summit brought together more than 500 leaders and partners from across industries, government, and academia to explore how intelligent technologies can drive digital transformation, economic growth, and inclusive development. The event served as a platform for collaborative dialogue, solution showcases, and strategic announcements that underscore the pivotal role of AI and cloud in shaping the country’s digital future.
In her opening address, Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud Global Marketing and Sales Service, stressed the importance of seizing the moment for cloud and AI development. She stated, “The best time to develop Cloud and AI is NOW. For young Kenya, talent is key. For intelligent Kenya, AI is the foundation. And for dynamic Kenya, practice is the approach. Huawei Cloud will work hand-in-hand with our customers and partners to build a young, intelligent, and dynamic Kenya.” Shi’s remarks highlighted Huawei’s commitment to enabling Kenya’s youth, industries, and institutions through access to next-generation technologies and skills.
Reinforcing Huawei’s long-standing partnership with the country, Gao Fei, CEO of Huawei Kenya, reflected on the company’s 27-year journey in Kenya, evolving from telecommunications infrastructure to digital services and cloud platforms. “Huawei has grown alongside Kenya—from building communication networks to powering today’s digital economy. We are committed to helping build a prosperous, inclusive, and intelligent Kenya through cloud and AI,” said Gao.
Adding to the momentum, Mr. Washington Okoth, Secretary for ICT Infrastructure at MICDE, outlined the government’s strategic focus on digital infrastructure and policy reform. “Kenya is aiming to become a regional AI leader. We’ve officially released the Kenya Cloud Policy to prioritize cloud-based ICT adoption, and we are building out the AI infrastructure, data ecosystem, and research capabilities needed to enable inclusive socio-economic development,” he announced. The policy signals a decisive shift away from traditional on-premise data centers toward modern, scalable cloud environments.
Throughout the summit, Huawei Cloud showcased several key innovations and product releases tailored to Kenya’s needs. Roc Bai, Director of Huawei Cloud Sub-Saharan Africa Marketing & Solution Sales Department, unveiled the latest Huawei Cloud Stack 8.5 (HCS 8.5) and the upgraded DataArts platform. HCS 8.5 offers industry-specific hybrid cloud solutions with over 120 integrated cloud services and AI capabilities, enabling localized deployment for governments, financial institutions, and enterprises. The upgraded DataArts platform introduces a knowledge-centric foundation that significantly enhances AI training and inference efficiency—crucial for accelerating intelligent transformation across sectors.
Frank Shi, Managing Director of Huawei Cloud Kenya, also announced the launch of five industry-targeted cloud solutions designed for government, finance, telecom, media, and e-commerce. “These solutions are based on Huawei’s global expertise but adapted to local needs,” Shi said. “They are here to help accelerate Kenya’s smart transformation by aligning technology with industry-specific challenges.”
The summit also emphasized the social impact of AI and cloud technologies.
Aka Dai, Director of Huawei Cloud Marketing, presented examples of how Huawei is delivering meaningful change through its Cloud for Good initiative. “From nature conservation to inclusive finance, from agriculture to healthcare, each story we’ve shared today represents how cloud and AI can make a real difference,” he said.
Huawei pledged to continue supporting Kenya’s efforts in sustainability, digital inclusion, and talent development through its technological capabilities and ecosystem partnerships.
Real-world success stories illustrated the tangible outcomes of cloud adoption in Kenya. M-PESA, the continent’s largest mobile money service, now operates its Africa-wide platform on Huawei Cloud, handling more than 21 billion transactions annually across seven countries. Konza Technopolis—Kenya’s smart city project—has deployed the country’s first Tier 3 cloud data center, powering over 70 government applications and 120 industry services. Royal Media Services (RMS), the country’s leading media house, built a digital OTT platform on Huawei Cloud that has reduced content launch cycles from three days to just one. Similarly, Kilimall, a leading e-commerce platform, has scaled its operations to support triple the online traffic during sales campaigns, thanks to cloud infrastructure upgrades.
Huawei also reiterated its commitment to investing in Kenya’s digital talent pipeline. Since 2020, Huawei Cloud has served over 100 enterprise clients in Kenya and has become the fastest-growing cloud provider in the region. Through initiatives like DigiTruck, Seeds for the Future, and collaborations with more than 60 Kenyan universities, Huawei continues to nurture the next generation of tech professionals. The company also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MICDE to train over 6,000 students annually in digital and ICT skills—ensuring that local talent is equipped to lead Kenya’s intelligent future.
With strong government backing, a growing ecosystem of innovators, and the support of global technology partners like Huawei, Kenya is now firmly on the path to becoming a smart, AI-powered nation. The Kenya Cloud Summit 2025 marks a critical milestone in this journey, setting the foundation for a more connected, data-driven, and inclusive digital economy.
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