The world’s largest tech show brand, GITEX, has unveiled expansion plans into Kenya with the inaugural 2026 edition of the show set to unlock US$2.4 billion in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven economic potential.
As Kenya invests heavily in key economic growth and national resilience drivers, from digital infrastructure and AI factories to hyperscale data centres and green industrialisation, the country is set for increased international attention following the announcement of Ai Everything Kenya x GITEX Kenya.
Organised by KAOUN International, the global organiser of GITEX, in partnership with the Office of the Special Envoy on Technology of the Republic of Kenya and dx⁵, Africa’s top technology driver, Ai Everything Kenya x GITEX Kenya will debut in Nairobi from 19-21 May 2026.
With the AI market alone expected to contribute US$2.4 billion to Kenya’s GDP by 2030 and generate over 300,000 new jobs by 2028, the event is poised to highlight Kenya’s increasing AI and digital transformation leadership regionally and internationally. It will catalyse a new wave of transformative partnerships and investments, simultaneously accelerating the responsible and inclusive deployment of emerging technologies.
Convening one of the most influential multistakeholder gatherings on the continent, GITEX continues to offer unparalleled access to new markets, capital, talents, relationships, and investment opportunities. Throughout its 45-year history, international engagement and expansion have become synonymous with a brand that now stages shows in eight countries and five regions globally, including Germany, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Nigeria, Singapore, Thailand, the UAE, and Vietnam.
With Kenya’s highly anticipated introduction into the GITEX international events portfolio, Ai Everything Kenya x GITEX Kenya will become East Africa’s largest tech and startup event, bringing together policymakers, technologists, academia, the private sector, civil society, creatives, and development partners.
William Kabogo Gitau, cabinet secretary for Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, welcomed the announcement: “Hosting Ai Everything Kenya is both a recognition of our achievements and a call to action. Kenya is positioning itself at the heart of Africa’s digital transformation, where artificial intelligence is not just a tool for innovation, but a force for economic inclusion, public service reform, and sustainable development.” He noted that AI, affirmed by the recently launched Kenyan AI Strategy, is a cornerstone of the country’s broader transformation agenda, aligned with the Kenya National Digital Master Plan 2022–2032 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA): “We are proud to lead this moment that places Africa on the global AI map—not just as consumers, but as creators and collaborators shaping a future rooted in our values and vision.”
Dr. Korir Singoei, principal secretary for Foreign Affairs, noted that hosting AI Everything Kenya x GITEX Kenya in the same year as the 2026 Global Data Festival underscores the nation’s ambition to cement Nairobi’s role as the world’s multilateral hub for digital cooperation and innovation.
Comprising a one-day global summit and two-day exhibition showcase, the event will revolve around six key themes at the forefront of Kenya’s emerging digital economy and technology ecosystem: AI, agritech, cloud, cybersecurity, IoT, and sustainability.
Alongside a global community of governments, enterprises, experts, investors, SMEs, startups, and digital promotion agencies, Ai Everything Kenya x GITEX Kenya, supported by Gulfood, the world’s biggest food show, stands to redefine cross-sector collaboration, inspire new public-private partnership projects, attract investment, scale technologies, and propel Kenya’s digital transformation journey to greater heights.
