Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has cemented its position as a leader in Africa’s digital transformation by becoming a founding member of the United Nations-supported Artificial Intelligence Capacity Development Network (AICDN). JKUAT’s Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence for Capacity Building in Africa (AICEX-Africa) joined the global network which was officially launched in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 5, 2026, marking a significant milestone in international cooperation for AI capacity building.
The establishment of AICDN responds to the UN Global Digital Compact and the UN Secretary-General’s recommendations on innovative financing and international cooperation for AI development. The network brings together leading AI centres from four continents to reduce the global AI capacity gap and ensure no country is left behind in the AI revolution.
AICEX-Africa, JKUAT’s flagship AI Centre of Excellence, was officially established in December 2025, by Ambassador Philip Thigo, Special Envoy on Technology to H.E. the President of the Republic of Kenya. The Centre, led by Professor Muliaro Wafula, serves as Kenya’s national AI hub and represents the country within the global network.
“This historic achievement demonstrates JKUAT’s unwavering commitment to positioning Kenya and Africa at the forefront of the global AI revolution. Through AICEX-Africa and our membership in this UN-supported network, we are creating unprecedented opportunities for our students and researchers to collaborate with the world’s best minds while ensuring that African perspectives and priorities shape the future of artificial intelligence,” Professor Victoria Wambui Ngumi, Vice Chancellor, JKUAT.
At the Geneva ceremony, Professor Muliaro Wafula signed the Cooperation Framework on behalf of both JKUAT and the Office of the Special Envoy on Technology, formally positioning Kenya among the founding institutions of this landmark initiative. The network will focus on coordinated AI training programmes, AI education, ethics and responsible AI governance, and the development of policy blueprints for national AI centres.
The AICDN facilitates international coordination and collaboration by mobilizing in-kind contributions from universities, governments, corporations, and development partners. Key areas of cooperation include: AI skills development and professional training; AI model and use-case repositories; computing infrastructure and shared compute capacity; AI datasets and data governance; institutional and policy capacity development; and responsible and ethical AI implementation.
AICEX-Africa aims to develop internationally competitive AI education programmes, conduct multidisciplinary research, support AI policy development, and foster university-industry-government collaboration. It is expected to play a pivotal role in supporting the implementation of Kenya’s AI Strategy, strengthening research excellence, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and contributing to sustainable socio-economic transformation across Kenya and the African continent.
“Through its integration into the United Nations-supported Network, the Centre provides Kenya with a globally connected platform for AI capacity development while positioning JKUAT as a leading institution in Africa’s AI ecosystem,” Professor Wafula noted.
AICDN operates as a collaborative platform to strengthen global AI capabilities and ensure no country is left behind in the AI revolution.
