From Ushahidi to AI: Nairobi summit asks who technology is really built for

In early 2008, as violence spread across Kenya after a disputed election, people struggled to know what was happening and where. Blogger Ory Okolloh called for a way to map reports of violence. Ushahidi emerged from that effort in 2008, allowing people to submit reports by SMS and online. They called it Ushahidi, Kiswahili for “testimony”.

That story set the tone at the Summit on People-Centred Technologies in Africa, held at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi from 5 to 7 October, The Star reported.

The big questions

The summit brought together innovators, youth leaders, peace workers, digital rights advocates, researchers, funders and civil society groups. Their focus was not the latest gadget, but who builds technology, who controls it, who benefits, and who gets left out.

Discussions covered AI, robotics and other emerging tools, and how they could support peace, accountable government and stronger communities.

Ushahidi is a useful reminder: it was built by Kenyans to solve a Kenyan problem, then spread around the world. As AI arrives, participants argued, Africa needs more technology that starts from local needs, not less.