Editor's Review

Nyanza region is set to host a three-day digital summit in December 2026 as the government seeks to position the region as a hub for digital innovation.

Nyanza region is set to host a three-day digital summit in December 2026 as the government seeks to position the region as a hub for digital innovation, investment and technological development.

In an update on Wednesday, November 11, ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary John Tanui said the inaugural Nyanza Digital Summit will take place from December 2 to 4 in Bondo, Siaya County.

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"Today, at the Nyanza Digital Summit Stakeholders’ Breakfast in Nairobi, I engaged county leaders, development partners, academia and private sector representatives on positioning the six counties of Nyanza as a regional hub for digital innovation, investment and opportunity ahead of the inaugural summit scheduled for December 2–4, 2026, in Bondo, Siaya County," he wrote.

According to Tanui, the initiative is being advanced in collaboration with Siaya Digital Hub and other partners, with the government seeking to align digital development with the region’s economic potential.

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He said the discussions were aimed at identifying practical ways of translating the region’s digital ambitions into tangible projects through investments, infrastructure development and skills training.

"Our focus is to move from ambition to implementation by aligning investment, digital infrastructure, skills development and innovation with the region’s economic potential," he added.

File image of ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary John Tanui

Tanui said the summit is also expected to establish partnerships and identify regional priorities that will contribute to discussions at the National ICT Summit 2027.

"Through this summit, we aim to build credible partnerships and actionable regional priorities that will feed into the National ICT Summit 2027. 

"Nyanza must not only participate in Kenya’s digital transformation but become a driver of it," he further said.

This comes a week after Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei shared details of a government partnership with British actor Sir Idris Elba.

In a statement on Tuesday, November 3, he said the partnership was formalised through the signing of a Statement of Intent on the sidelines of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda.

Sing’Oei said he signed the agreement on behalf of Kenya with Elba, who serves as Chairman of the Akuna Group, outlining several areas of cooperation between the parties.

"On the sidelines of #CHOGM2026 in Antigua and Barbuda, I signed a Statement of Intent on behalf of Kenya with Sir Idris Elba, Chairman of the Akuna Group, establishing a pathway for cooperation in the creative economy, responsible AI, digital innovation, youth skills, creator financing and access to global markets within the context of Commonwealth Creative Economy Partnership involving Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Barbados," he wrote.

Sing’Oei explained that the partnership sought to position Kenya’s creative talent for greater international opportunities by linking the sector with technology, investment and markets across Commonwealth countries.

"Our ambition is to connect Kenya’s extraordinary creative talent to technology, investment and opportunities across the Commonwealth turning creativity into dignified work, scalable enterprise and national influence

"The partnership is a shot in the arm of Talanta Hela program which supports talent identification and nurturing as it will provide route to market and strengthen potential monetizing of youth creative enterprises," he added.