Technology

Global Data Festival and Kenya Space Expo & Conference 2026

F

rom 2–5 June 2026 in Nairobi, the Government of Kenya hosts a joint global gathering: the Global Data Festival & Kenya Space Expo Conference (KSEC). Under the theme "Powering Resilience, Innovation, and Partnership through Data and Technology" the event brings together government, policy makers, public sector, private sector, academia, industry professional…

Visit the official siteRegister
43Voices
8Underwriters
0Exhibitors
10On the bill · sessions
42Companies · in total
§I

The Voices

Programmed at Global, in alphabetical order.
Aidan Eyakuze
CEO · Open Government
Ambassador Philip Thigo, MBS
Special Envoy on Technology · government of kenya
Amb.Matt Baugh
UK Ambassador · British Embassy Kenya
Brig. Hillary B. Kipkosgey
Director General · KSA
Brig. Hillary Kipkosgey
DG · KSA
Col. Andrew Nyawade
Director S S I · Kenya Space Agency
Dr Caroline Gavaert
Associate Professor · University of Twente
Dr. Eldah Onsomu
CEO · KIPPRA
Dr. Garry Conille
UN Resident Coordinator · UNSDG
Dr. Macdonald Obudho
DG · KNBS
Dr Melissa Omino
IP expert · Strathmore
Dr. Munzer Jahjah
C E O · Malindi Space Centre
Dr. Patrick Mariru
PS · Ministry of Defence
Dr. Priscilla Idele
Chief of Data and Analytics · UNFPA
Dr. Rendani Ndaganeni
Researcher · S A N S A
Dr. Yuliya Tarabalka
VP Geospatial ​ Solutions · Space42
Eng. John Tanui
Principal Secretary, ICT and the Digital Economy · Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy
Hon. Gideon Ochanda
MP · Kenyan Parliament
Hon. Prof. Kithure Kindiki, E.G.H.
Deputy President · Government of Kenya
Hon. Soipan Tuya EGH
CS Defence · Ministry of Defence
Maj Gen Bernard Waliaula
K A F Commander · K D F
Maj. Kenneth Kanda
Deputy Director · K S A

— and 21 more, by name unsung —

§II

Underwritten By

The houses behind the program. Tiers as disclosed.
ASIPlatinum
MicrosoftPlatinum
Space 42Platinum
Kenya AirwaysGold
Planet LabsGold
Fahari AviationSilver
GeoMakaniSilver
Planetek ItaliaSilver
§III

The Programme

Selected from 10 sessions on the bill.
  • 08:30to09:00

    Welcome and General Scene Setting

    Plenary
  • 09:00to10:30

    Plenary 1: Human-Centered Data: Moving Beyond Numbers to Real Impact

    This opening plenary brings the full Festival & Expo community together for the first time, grounding the week's policy and …

    Plenary
  • 11:00to12:00

    Plenary 2: How Inclusive Data Can Drive a More Equitable Future

    This plenary takes stock of the progress made, the barriers that remain, and what it will take to ensure that …

    Plenary
  • 14:00to15:30

    Community Maps, Real Impact: Open Spatial Data in Humanitarian and Disaster Response

    Natural disasters and humanitarian crises expose a critical gap: the data needed to save lives is often unavailable, outdated, or …

    Community
  • 14:00to15:30

    Experience sharing and Best Practices using SDMX, Open Data Platform, and Open SDG in …

    Community
  • 14:00to15:30

    From Ambition to Adoption: African & MENA Universities Shaping AI Governance

    Across Africa and the MENA region, universities are beginning to explore and implement AI strategies and readiness frameworks. Recent global …

    Community
  • 14:00to15:30

    Pioneering Citywide Citizen Drone Mapping: Lessons from Freetown, Waterloo, Lusaka, and Beyond

    Center for Integrated Earth System Information (CIESIN) and the Columbia Climate School This peer exchange builds directly on a February …

    Community
  • 14:00to15:30

    Plenary 3: Unlocking Investments in the Data Ecosystem

    This plenary makes the political and financial case to ministers, senior officials, and development funders, that data sovereignty and inclusive …

    Plenary
  • 16:30to18:30

    Opening Ceremony

    Speeches

    Plenary
Intermission
Part the Second · For the Buyer

What does it mean when 42 companies show up — and 2 bet on three roles at once?

42 companies. two are betting more than once.

The numbers below are derived from the speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors on this page — cross-referenced into one ledger. They are the only thing here that 10times.com cannot tell you.

01Fig. 01 — Composition of the House
2All threespeak · spons · exh
6Sponsoringsponsor only
0Exhibitingexhibitor only
34Companies Speakingspeaker only

The Triple-Threat

Space42·Microsoft

02Fig. 02 — The Voices, by Seniority

42% of the speakers carry senior titles — C-suite, Founder, VP, or Director-level.

  • C-suite716%
  • Founder / Owner12%
  • VP-level37%
  • Director / Head of716%
  • Manager / Lead37%
  • Engineer · IC12%
  • Research / Science25%
  • Other roles1944%

Of 43 on the bill · classified by free-text title

03Fig. 03 — The Heaviest in the Room
  1. 01Space42Sp·P2V
  2. 02KSA4V
  3. 03MicrosoftSp·P1V
  4. 04ASISp·P
  5. 05Fahari AviationSp·S
  6. 06GeoMakaniSp·S
  7. 07Government of Kenya3V
  8. 08Kenya AirwaysSp·G
  9. 09Planetek ItaliaSp·S
  10. 10Planet LabsSp·G
  11. 11Ministry of Defence2V
  12. 12Aapti Institute1V
  13. 13Aistech Space1V
  14. 14British Embassy Kenya1V
04Fig. 04 — By Tier
platinum3
38% of 8
gold2
25% of 8
silver3
38% of 8