China has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening cooperation with Kenya in information technology and artificial intelligence, ushering in a new phase of collaboration focused on digital innovation, skills development, and talent exchange.
The commitment was announced during the Huawei ICT Competition Global Awards recognition ceremony at State House, Nairobi, where President William Ruto launched the 11th edition of the competition and reiterated Kenya’s dedication to building a globally competitive digital economy.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Guo Haiyan, said Beijing was eager to expand practical partnerships that would unlock the value of digital technology and accelerate Kenya’s digital transformation.
“I believe that China and Kenya have promising prospects for future cooperation in information technology and artificial intelligence. We look forward to carrying out more practical cooperation to unlock the value of digital technology,” Ambassador Guo stated.
She noted that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies have created unprecedented opportunities for international cooperation and sustainable development, noting that Kenya remains a crucial partner in China’s vision for inclusive digital growth.
Ambassador Guo linked this growing partnership to the recent launch of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO) in Shanghai, where Kenya became a founding member after ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo signed the agreement on behalf of the government.
Quoting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Ambassador Guo affirmed that artificial intelligence “should be developed for the common prosperity of all mankind,” adding that China would strengthen international cooperation on AI capacity building. She further underscored President Xi’s commitment to providing 5,000 specialised AI training opportunities for developing countries over the next five years and establishing international AI application cooperation centres, including in Africa, to support digital innovation.
President Ruto welcomed China’s continued support for Kenya’s digital transformation agenda and thanked Beijing for its long-standing partnership in innovation and human capital development.
“I thank the Government and the people of the Republic of China, through Her Excellency Ambassador Guo Haiyan, for the enduring partnership between our two nations in advancing digital transformation, innovation and human capital development,” President Ruto said.
The President said Kenya was deliberately building an innovation ecosystem that integrates education, research, entrepreneurship, and industry to cultivate globally competitive talent.
“Our objective is to build an ecosystem where education, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and industry reinforce one another, where classrooms connect to laboratories, laboratories to start-ups, start-ups to industry and industry to global markets,” he explained.
President Ruto also lauded Huawei’s nearly three decades of investment in Kenya, acknowledging the significant role its programmes have played in equipping young people with industry-ready digital skills.
He noted that Huawei has partnered with 61 universities and tertiary institutions through its ICT Academy programme, training over 15,000 students, certifying more than 6,000 learners, and upskilling over 400 lecturers with internationally recognised digital skills. He also commended initiatives such as DigiTruck for expanding digital opportunities to youth, women, and underserved communities.
Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo revealed that during his recent visit to Huawei’s research facilities in Shanghai, he witnessed China’s vast investment in innovation, including more than 300,000 employees engaged in research and development.
He expressed Kenya’s hope to secure training opportunities for approximately 100 young professionals in China under the new AI cooperation framework, with a view to deploying them as trainers across the country’s expanding digital hubs.
Principal Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy, John Tanui, praised Huawei’s nearly 30-year contribution to Kenya’s digital infrastructure and talent development, noting that its university academies have strengthened the country’s ICT ecosystem and created employment opportunities for young professionals.
Gavin Gao, Huawei Kenya Chief Executive Officer, highlighted that the success of Kenyan students demonstrated the impact of sustained investment in digital infrastructure and technical education.
“Huawei is in Kenya for Kenya. We are helping drive Kenya’s future growth. We hope to go together and grow together for a prosperous and inclusive digital and intelligent Kenya,” Gao affirmed.
He indicated that Huawei’s ICT Academy programme has trained over 20,000 students across more than 60 universities and TVET institutions, equipping them with globally recognised skills in networking, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.
