By: Kanto
Kai Okanta
Kenya is seeking deeper
investment and technology partnerships with South Korea to expand artificial
intelligence, data-centre infrastructure and computing capacity, as the country
positions itself as a base for developing and deploying African digital solutions.
Cabinet Secretary for
Information, Communications and the Digital Economy William Kabogo Gitau made
the case at a Korea–Africa Ministerial Roundtable in Seoul, held against the
backdrop of two decades of Korea–Africa economic cooperation.
Kabogo said the relationship
is entering a new phase, with artificial intelligence and digital
infrastructure increasingly at the centre of cooperation between Korea and
African countries.
He argued that Africa should
approach the partnership as an investment and technology partner rather than
solely as a recipient of assistance, highlighting the continent’s growing
market and young population.
By 2030, Africa is projected
to have a population of 1.7 billion, with about 70 percent under the age of 30.
Yet the continent, which accounts for roughly a fifth of the world’s
population, has less than one percent of global data-centre capacity.
Kabogo said closing this
infrastructure gap would require international partners to invest directly in
African markets and build capacity alongside local institutions and businesses.
Kenya’s
priorities in discussions with South Korea include advancing the Konza Digital
Media City, supporting the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(Kenya-AIST), developing a longer-term financing framework with
