Qhala

Qhala is committed to catalysing Africa's digital ecosystem, this requires a deliberate cross pollination of ideas, investors and ventures across different ecosystem. This week our colleague Michelle Ogolla is at EMERGING Valley 2024, engaging to connect the African Ecosystem to the French Ecosystem through our partnership with FrenchTech. We welcome you to join this and other ecosystem partners who will be at the Silicon Xchange that will bring together the European,  US and United Kingdom Technology and Innovation Ecosystems for growth and job creation. #DigitalTransformation #Qhala #TechPartnership

How can technology strengthen communities and create sustainable futures? Dr. Shikoh Gitau, alongside other experts, will share insights on transformative inclusivity and sustainability at The EMERGING Valley 2024, taking place in Marseille, France. #digitaltransformation #inclusivity #Innovation 

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Shikoh Gitau, the visionary CEO of Qhala, will be joining us as a panelist at the Tech Dinner 2024! With over a decade of expertise in digital transformation, Dr. Shikoh has driven impactful innovations across sectors such as Agriculture, Health, Payments, and Renewable Energy in Africa and emerging markets. As the founder of Safaricom Alpha , Africa’s first corporate innovation hub, she spearheaded Safaricom’s digital transformation. Her leadership has extended to advising governments on ICT policies, including the Digital Government Blueprint, and contributing to global tech giants like Google and Microsoft. Dr. Shikoh serves on multiple boards, including WIDEF and the Open Institute, and has earned accolades like the Women in STEM Champion Award. Her unwavering dedication to innovation and empowering women in tech continues to shape Africa’s tech ecosystem. We are excited to gain her insights as we explore the future of the tech ecosystem! Have you secured your ticket yet? Get your tickets at https://lnkd.in/dvd7Hy_w

The African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) and The Parliamentary Centre | le Centre parlementaire Inclusive Legislatures for Gender Responsive Policies (ILGRP) project team in #Kenya and technical experts trained Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Women's Rights Groups (WRGs) on approaches for effective engagement in the parliamentary oversight process from 27th to 29th November 2024. The WRGs/CSOs were drawn from Women Political Alliance Kenya, COVAW KENYA, NGEC, Qhala, CRAWN TRUST, University of Nairobi Women Economic Empowerment Hub (UoN WEE Hub), Kenya Young Parliamentary Association and other youth-led organizations in Kenya. In addition to examining gender issues that must be taken into consideration during the creation, development, and evaluation of legislation, the practical sessions included analyzing gender disparities as part of post-legislative scrutiny and also the effects of judicial decisions. A number of bills and policies including the proposed Persons with Disability Bill 2023, Learners with Disability Bill 2023, Child Parents, and Mitigation of Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Offenses, were all found to have gender gaps through gender analysis carried out by the CSO/WRGs. Publicly available auditor general reports served as the basis for the gender analysis. Memorandums and statements were prepared by the CSO/WRGs, the aim is to share these with MPs and the Parliament of Kenya to inform their work on the bills. The Persons with Disability (amendment bill) 2023 and Learners with Disability bills are presently being reviewed by the Kenyan parliament. The activity was implemented with support from Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada. #ACEPA #ILGRP #KENYA

I was reflecting on the conversation with my fellow panelists (Pren-Tsilya Boa-Guehe Dr Talkmore Chidede Nkundwe Mwasaga Shikoh Gitau ) about smartphones for Africa built in Africa at the summit put together by Qhala and supported by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation GSMA , Smart Africa and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat , and it hit me that the one thing that I’ve also struggled with personally as the chair of Africa Cybersecurity and AI Foundation (ACAIF) committed to giving African youths opportunities for dignified livelihoods in the digital economy is the issue of “Tools”. You can’t power a community to farm without machinery to plaugh the land, plant, weed etc, similarly you can’t power a population to thrive in jobs / gigs / trade in the digital economy without “affordable” smartphones, laptops, etc.. it doesn’t matter if you’ve connected their internet until inside their kitchen sink! Something to think about… this ecosystem has to be thought through in terms of layers as Angela Wamola rightly puts it… and excited to see how our collective efforts as governments, institutions, and private sector can finally do more of the walk and less of the talk on device affordability… (DM we chat about ACAIF flagship program on DA)

In our solidarity with the global cause #16DaysofActivismAgainstGBV2024 we partner with KYPA, African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) The Parliamentary Centre | le Centre parlementaire, Kenya Ni Mimi Campaign and Health NGOs Network - HENNET KENYA for grassroot engagement and collaborative advocacy against gender-based violence including Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) in Kenya. #TFGBV #endGBV #16daysofactivism2024 #endFGM #breakthesilence #komeshadhulmaokoavizazi

Join us on 13th December 2024 at the Swiss Lenana Mount Hotel from 6 PM for an inspiring evening in partnership with She Code Africa, dedicated to advancing Kenya’s tech ecosystem. This gathering of thought leaders and experts will explore ways to bridge gaps, foster digital inclusion, promote innovation, and collaborate on driving growth across the sector. Secure your ticket today: https://lnkd.in/dPt9SrJN. #DigitalTransformation #SheCodeNairobi2024 #Qhala 

We are thrilled to welcome Qhala as a partner for this year's She Code Nairobi Tech Dinner! Together, we’re creating opportunities to connect, celebrate, and empower women in tech. Your support makes all the difference♥️ #Techdinner2024 #empowerher #shecodenairobi2024

At Kenya Innovation Week, yesterday, Dr. Shikoh Gitau moderated a panel on AI Policies, featuring Ben Roberts, John Walubengo, CISA, CDPSE, (OGW)., Emmeline Skinner and Dr. Daniele Guariso. The discussion explored data sovereignty, raising questions about whether Africans understand the value of their data, the risks of sharing it through open-source platforms, and the urgent need for policies to protect personal information. The panel also unpacked Agentic AI, emphasizing the need to make AI systems relevant, accessible, and profitable for Africa. Key challenges such as unreliable infrastructure, limited compute power, and the balance between innovation and regulation were addressed, with a call for adaptive policies. Looking ahead, Africa must build capacity to lead AI innovation, improve infrastructure, and take an active role in shaping the global AI agenda by  leveraging its data and resources. #KenyaInnovationWeek2024 #AIForAfrica #KIW2024 #DigitalTransformation #Qhala

Tomorrow at #KIW2024, we dive into the world of AI! Join thought leaders and experts as they tackle key topics—from policymaking to building a thriving AI ecosystem in Kenya. Stay tuned updates and insights shaping the future of AI. Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) #KIW #KenyaInnovationWeek2024