Kenyan project management expert Annita Mwagiru has joined the speaker line-up for the PMI® Global Summit Series Africa 2025.
By Peace Muthoka.
Kenyan project management expert Annita Mwagiru has joined the speaker line-up for the PMI® Global Summit Series Africa 2025. She will speak alongside some of the continent’s most influential voices at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda from August 19 to 21.
Mwagiru, who served as a technical advisor on the Kenya AI Strategy 2025–2030, will share insights on how project management can drive responsible technology deployment in Africa. The Summit, hosted by the Project Management Institute (PMI), will bring together senior project professionals, C-suite leaders, government officials, development partners, and emerging talent. The goal is to rethink how projects are designed and delivered to create lasting impact.
Africa faces pressing challenges from climate change and infrastructure deficits to job creation, digital transformation, and the rise of artificial intelligence. PMI says this demands a new approach to project success, measuring it not just by deadlines and budgets, but by resilience, inclusive growth, sustainable innovation, and social value.
“Africa’s project economy remains vibrant yet vulnerable,” said George Asamani, MD of PMI Sub-Saharan Africa. “The African Development Bank estimates the continent needs up to $170 billion annually to close its infrastructure gap, with a financing shortfall of up to $108 billion. Project management is not optional; it’s essential to delivery.”
This year’s speaker roster spans government, business, innovation, academia, and culture. Highlights include a special address from African Development Bank President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, a long-time champion of effective project execution.
Cultural and industry leaders such as Nigerian-American singer and entrepreneur Banky W, chess champion and Guinness World Record holder Tunde Onakoya, and top executives from sectors including banking, education, and telecommunications will share strategies for building future-ready systems.
Other confirmed speakers include Armand Nzeyimana of the African Development Bank, Elie Habimana of Norrsken East Africa, Pierre Kayitana of Zipline Rwanda, Kusobile Kamwambi from Zambia’s Presidential Delivery Unit, and Sindi Kwenaite from the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions.
Academic voices such as Professor Kayihura Muganga Didas, Vice Chancellor of the University of Rwanda, and Celestin Nkeramihigo, Dean at Kepler College, will explore how education is shaping Africa’s next generation of project leaders.
Also joining are Emily Mutaga of Bank of Kigali, Chinedu Mbonu of the FCDO British High Commission, Ancicalia Matizha of Old Mutual Zimbabwe, and Deeksha Singh of Discovery, among others. PMI Chapter Presidents from Kenya, Angola, Togo, Ghana, Namibia, and host Rwanda will add grassroots perspectives to the dialogue.
For Mwagiru, the event is an opportunity to advance African-led solutions. “While we can learn from global models, our shared values and unique contexts demand homegrown innovation,” she said. “The Kenya AI Strategy process showed me how vital it is to anchor new technologies in local realities.”
The PMI Global Summit Series Africa 2025 promises to be more than a conference it is a platform for bold ideas, cross-sector collaboration, and actionable strategies to
