The Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy (MICDE) launched the Kenya AI & Cloud Pioneer Initiative at the Huawei Cloud Kenya Summit 2025. The event, themed “Accelerate Intelligence, Ignite Smart Kenya,” aims to position Kenya as a regional leader in AI and cloud computing.
The summit brought together more than 500 leaders from government, industry and academia to explore how intelligent technologies can drive digital transformation. Participants discussed strategies for economic growth and inclusive development through cloud and AI adoption.
Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud Global Marketing and Sales Service, emphasized the importance of immediate action. “The best time to develop Cloud and AI is now,” she said. “For young Kenya, talent is key. For intelligent Kenya, AI is the foundation. Huawei Cloud will work hand-in-hand with Kenya to build a dynamic digital future.”
Gao Fei, CEO of Huawei Kenya, reflected on the company’s 27-year partnership with Kenya. “From building communication networks to powering today’s digital economy, we remain committed to Kenya’s growth through cloud and AI technologies,” he stated.
Washington Okoth, Secretary for ICT Infrastructure at MICDE, announced the government’s new Kenya Cloud Policy. “This policy marks our shift from traditional data centers to modern cloud environments,” he explained. “We’re building the AI infrastructure and data ecosystem needed to become a regional leader.”
Huawei showcased several innovations including Huawei Cloud Stack 8.5 and the upgraded DataArts platform. These solutions offer hybrid cloud capabilities and improved AI efficiency for Kenyan businesses and government agencies. The company also introduced five industry-specific cloud solutions for government, finance, telecom, media and e-commerce sectors.
Several Kenyan organizations shared their success stories. M-PESA now processes over 21 billion annual transactions across Africa using Huawei Cloud. Konza Technopolis has deployed Kenya’s first Tier 3 cloud data center, supporting more than 70 government applications. Royal Media Services reduced content launch cycles from three days to one after migrating to Huawei Cloud.
Huawei announced plans to train 6,000 Kenyan students annually in digital skills through programs like DigiTruck and Seeds for the Future. This training initiative is part of a new Memorandum of Understanding with MICDE to develop local talent for Kenya’s digital economy.
With strong government support and technology partnerships, Kenya is making significant progress toward becoming a smart, AI-powered nation. The Huawei Cloud Summit 2025 highlighted these advancements while setting the stage for future collaboration and innovation.
