A curation of essays, interviews, talks, op-eds by and/or featuring yours truly. Also, additional roundups on COVID-19 and for 2014-2019).
2023
EU AI Act’s possible implications for Africa (I spoke to CGTN Africa on what the landmark legislation could portend for Africa’s AI landscape).
On cybersecurity talent and innovation in Africa (On the heels of the inaugural Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building, I spoke with the Global Cyber Alliance on where things stand on the continent).
Will 2024 Elections Be Safe from AI? (I speak to Bloomberg AI IRL on insights we are garnering from the African continent on AI — ever a canary in the coalmine —and its impact on political and democratic processes, and what that portends for 2024 elections in the US and elsewhere).
Kenya Has A Software Problem. Is It Time for a Cultural Revolution? (I spoke to Uongozi Lab about Kenya’s soft infrastructure: civics, politics, culture…and how they intersect with technological advancements and the youth dividend in the country).
Governance and Guidance for Digital ID ( I joined Episode 45 of the ID4Africa livecasts to share perspectives on what must not be overlooked in proposed governance frameworks and modalities for digital governance, and particularly, systems that are inherently political, such as ID regimes).
When the Rubber Meets the Road: Cybersecurity and Kenya’s Digital Superhighway (A paper I authored reflecting on the implications of a massive cyber attack that affected Kenya’s digital public infrastructure in July 2023, and the lessons to draw as the country embarks on entrenching digitalisation, especially of public services).
Exploring Kenya’s Cybersecurity Posture (Fresh off the heels of the July cyber incidents in Kenya, I joined a Twitter Space discussion unpacking the responses by affected entities, notably the government’s and financial sector responses to the disruptions that were felt across the country).
Global Governance: A Just and Equitable Digital Future (I joined a panel by New America discussing how multilateral institutions and global governance processes can shape a digital future that is inclusive of all stakeholders and manages the conflicts, risks, and widening inequalities of novel technology such as AI).
Cyber Capacity Building for Secure Digital Financial Inclusion: A Critical Analysis of Prevailing Approaches (co-authored this paper 📄 for an edited volume on Responsible Behaviour in Cyberspace: Global narratives and practice. Drawing insights from a project I curate at Carnegie, we take a critical approach to assessing the demand-supply dynamics of cyber capacity building in African countries, considering their vastly different digital financial ecosystems to the ‘western standards’).
How to Make Tech Companies More Accountable – could the answer lie in ‘Ubuntech’? 🎧 (I joined the ARC insider podcast to discuss this salient topic, and a Freudian slip led to the ‘Ubuntech’ framing/concept in the title [minute 10 onwards!] 🤭).
Why US Tech Giants Need Africa (In which we opine that US tech players must showcase adaptability to local contexts in order to cement a competitive edge in the nascent African market).
In Tech we Trust? (For The Elephant, I reflect on Kenya’s journey with tech for governance over the past decade, and the lessons learned).
How prepared for AI is Africa? (A BBC Africa Daily podcast in which I shared perspectives on how to widen the aperture on how AI developments are not only discussed but incorporated into hard and soft law on the continent).
Is Africa becoming a ‘digital sweatshop’? (I joined DW news to discuss the rising challenge of Africa’s young workforce being coopted into the gig economy but under precarious working conditions and how labour rights can protect them).
2022
Local Content: Instrument of India’s Soft Power Globally (Perhaps my most unlikely panel of 2022, yet one of the most memorable, in which I joined Indian content creators at the Global Technology Summit to discuss how their outputs contribute to India’s soft power in Africa).
Open-Network Technologies: A Driver of Financial Inclusion (At the Global Technology Summit, in which I joined other experts in discussing what kinds of technology rails (open vs ‘closed’) deliver development dividends such as digital financial inclusion)
Health in the Digital Age (For Health is a Political Choice publication, I reflect on the work ahead to ensure that digital technologies — health data governance in particular—can help achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030).
Digital Inclusion: Fostering Disruptive Innovation (During the Kigali Global Dialogue 2022, I joined Arvind Gupta in reflecting on how innovation in Africa’s and India’s digital spheres can go beyond the [Silicon Valley] copy and paste model).
Digital Democracy: The Road to Equal Digital Access (In which I reflected on the complexities emerging with digital financial inclusion, which is increasingly not translating to financial health especially for vulnerable communities).
The Great Gender Regress (I joined this timely discussion at the Kigali Global Dialogue to challenge prevailing myths about gender exclusion, especially young women in Africa).
Facebook lawsuit in Kenya could affect Big Tech accountability in Africa (In which I reflect on a seminal case filed in Kenya’s Employment and Labour Relations Court and what it might mean for how tech giants are held accountable outside western jurisdictions).
The Specter of Politics as Usual in Kenya’s 2022 Election (co-authored an essay reflecting on the broader issues that coloured Kenya’s 2022 General Election, many of which will outlive the political fever pitch of the campaign season).
On Multistakeholderism, Public Trust and AI. (For a timely #AIIntheCity publication (p36-37), I share some thoughts on how cities can learn from national and global tech governance’s pitfalls to enact effective governance of Artificial Intelligence at the sub-national level, a new power centre for governance in the digital age).
Africa is a strategic techno-geopolitical theatre. Will the continent’s leaders take advantage? (In which I broadly map out the tech investments into Africa, from across geopolitical divides, and how this complicates the continent’s taking of sides in the emerging ‘great power tech competition’).
The dangerous hype around biometric election-tech (For issue 87, p 10 of the excellent weekly, The Continent, I shared some words on how Kenya is a canary in the coalmine as pertains to jumping on the tech hype bandwagon, and its disastrous implications in my country’s elections).
Cybersecurity and Digital Finance in Kenya (Co-hosted/was a panelist on a timely Twitter space to unpack the cybersecurity and consumer protection mechanisms with respect to Kenya’s poster child for digital finance: M-PESA).
Women and Cybersecurity: Creating a More Inclusive Cyberspace (In which I joined an excellent panel [min 35 onwards] convened by the World Bank to assess myths vs real barriers for women in the cybersecurity workforce. Also see my previous reflection on ‘women in tech’ narratives).
Democracy in a Decentralized Digital World (In this panel for the 2022 360/OS Summit, I joined an excellent lineup to debunk the web3 phenomenon, and its implications for digital democracy/democracy in a digital age, of decentralization).
When Bulls Fight: Of Social Media Platforms’ Power and the Future of Digital Democracy (For RaisinaEdit 2022, I contributed this opinion piece on the growing unaccountability of Big Tech platforms, especially in non-western capitals, and how, left unchecked, could bode ill for digital democracy when governments and these companies clash).
What Elon Musk Gets Wrong about Free Speech (Joined a Twitter space by Human Rights Watch to discuss Elon Musk’s expected takeover of Twitter, and argued that rather than focus on the individual and his whims, we ought to assess the society that produces one man whose whims must now concern us all, as he angles to own one of the world’s most impactful social media platforms).
Diminished Democracies: Big Tech, Red Tech and Deep Tech (I joined this panel discussion at Raisina Dialogue 2022, to challenge assumptions on these categorizations: such as who is the ‘net producer’ of so-called ‘Red Tech’, especially given how geopolitical technology has become. We need to be mindful of the value judgements (in)advertently assigned to the differing ideological viewpoints influencing digitalization).
Pandemic, Technology and AI: A story from Africa (In which I was interviewed at Raisina Dialogue 2022 on how the continent has adapted to the disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and digitalization).
Strengthening individuals worldwide in protecting their data (For UNCTAD’s eCommerce week 2022, I joined a panel discussion challenging the singular framing around individuals’ responsibility in protecting their data, especially beyond western contexts where an individual may have to do so against state, private sector and other players alike).
Technology Governance in the Age of Cloud Dependence (Joined this timely conversation to discuss how governments in Africa and Europe are approaching governance of the digital transformation given the opportunities and risks of cloud dependence, the complex technology policy landscape, and intersection between the private and public sectors).
OECD high-level event: Shaping a Just Digital Transformation (Spoke on the session’s first panel to discuss the involvement of developing countries in global tech governance deliberations, and the challenges therein. Related: my contribution to the OECD Development Cooperation Report).
Building an inclusive digital economy and society that leaves no one behind (I joined the opening plenary for the inaugural AU-EU Digital4Development Hub Multistakeholder Forum to unpack assumptions on the proposed partnership between the two continents on matters digitalization).
AI in the City: Public Trust and AI (I joined this timely panel discussion to share thoughts on what cities as key subnational governance nodes ought to consider as they adopt AI solutions).
2021
The promises, pitfalls and potential of global technology governance. (For OECD’s Development Cooperation Report 2021, I argue that the digital transformation realities within developing countries must figure in global tech governance discourse).
De-concentrating data and digitalisation (I gave a keynote address for the the International Civil Society Centre’s #GlobalPerspectives 2021 Conference, on the challenges and opportunities civil society should look into/out for wrt digitalization).
#TalkingTech Interview: (For EQUALS Global Partnership and in support of Girls in ICT Day, I participated in a two-way interview with an up and coming woman in tech (Ms. Danielle Mullings) on our respective career journeys and lessons learned).
Summit for Democracy: Countering Digital Authoritarianism and Affirming Democratic Values (I had the pleasure of joining a distinguished panel, in which I nuanced the role assigned to civil society in addressing this salient challenge).
Reflecting on ‘Women in Tech’ Narratives (For CyFy 2021, I reflect on the powers and pitfalls of ‘women in tech’ narratives. I also host a panel discussion on Women at the Helm of Change, in which the amazing panelists dived deeper into these reflections).
On meaningfully engaging developing countries in Science and Diplomacy Anticipation (In which I share some thoughts at the inaugural Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipation Summit on this).
We need more than empty rhetoric on Africa’s youth (In which I highlight the need to go beyond lofty narratives on the potential of youth in Africa and unpack some realities about this vast and diverse demographic).
GIZ Future Forum – New Opportunities for Digital Transformation (Joined this all female panel for a wide-ranging discussion on how international development can contribute to a safe, inclusive and sustainable online space and a how the digital transformation can be shaped in a way to leave no-one behind).
Data for Peace Dialogue: “Do No Harm” in the digital age (Fascinating discussion I participated in, where we investigated the ‘do no harm’ principle — which should really read ‘do no (un)intentional harm’— by mitigating harms as proactively as possible, through e.g., enforcing principles and ethics often well articulated but the talk hardly walked).
Unsettled Ethical Issues in Gene Drive Research: Who owes what to whom? (This webinar’s discussion converged on the African and what s/he/they is/are owed when it comes to research in this (and other fields). I offered that it is not only about an apology, but also reparations and an ethics praxis that is grounded in humility and dignity for the African, beyond mere compliance/tick-the-box measures).
Five challenges with multistakeholder initiatives on AI (For the Carnegie Council’s AI and Equality Initiative, I wrote about the need to unpack the ‘multistakeholder approach’ to tech governance).
Digital (and) Diplomacy: What are we actually talking about? (I was invited to join this distinguished panel and share my experiences as a non diplomat, navigating the often conceptually unclear domain that is digital diplomacy. Specific contribution from the 1:30:00 minute mark).
Anticipating the future of Machine Learning and its impact on people and society (Joined GESDA for this roundtable at the Applied Machine Learning Days Africa conference to reflect on the governance challenges that the international community should address as regards Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning).
Club de Madrid Global Commission: Delivering for Youth in Emergency Response and Recovery (I joined this session to share some thoughts on youth narratives, critiquing the obfsucation that underlies many an effort initiated in the name of ‘African youth’).
New Scholar Spotlight: Nanjira Sambuli (In which I outline what I will be focusing on as a Fellow in the Technology and International Affairs program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace).
Expert interview on digitalisation in Africa (I’m not crazy about the platformisation of (Africa’s) digital economy. Yet, it’s happening. Shared my thoughts in this GIZ publication, to particularly contextualise digital transformation as is often imagined for Africa (p. 58)).
Decolonizing the Internet: How AI shapes our world. (In which I contribute to a conversation on how AI is shaping the ‘African internet experience’ and offer some thoughts on the critical lens we need to applying the (de)colonial language to digital technologies).
The Geopolitics of Digital Transformation (In which I speak to Körber-Stiftung on how competition for leadership in tech affects the global balance of power, and reflect on the Bergedof 175 roundtable).
Digital biases: The chimaera of equality and access (An essay I contributed for Raisina Files 2021, unpacking the layered divides that make equality in a digital age ever more elusive).
Transparency of Online Platforms (On World Press Freedom day, I joined this conversation hosted by UNESCO, highlighting the power dynamics between platforms and governments, as well as which societal realities are figured in the transparency platforms offer).
Technology, Philanthropy and Civil Society (I joined Charities Aid Foundation’s #GivingThought podcast on a wide-ranging conversation on digital civil society, power dynamics in the tech sector, the role of philantropy in tech and more).
A proposal for equitable health futures in a digital age (co-authored this piece for the Medicus Mundi Bulletin, along with fellow Governing Health Futures 2030 Commissioner, Prof Olivia Banner).
COVID-19, Technology and Platform Societies (I joined Kenya-based Elephant TV for a wide-ranging discussion on these topics).
Africa, Artificial Intelligence and Ethics (A webcast for the Carnegie Council’s AI and Equality Initiative on whose board I also serve).
Development and its Futures (The opening event for UNDP’s Istanbul Innovation Days; a uniquely designed session in which we bring artefacts from the futures we envision to the present).
Breaking through the bias in A.I. (An International Women’s Day commemoration in which I join phenomenal women in breaking down gendered AI bias – talent, AI decision-making and more).
Philanthropy and the Digital Revolution (a webinar in which I unpacked further my suggestions in the post 👇🏾; panel discussion commences at approx. 1 hr mark… ).
On the Patient Capital needed from Philanthropy in Tech. (In which I propose a path less travelled in tech investments; one that is suitable for philanthropy to take on).
Digital Health for Universal Health Coverage (In which I participate in a fireside chat at the Women in Tech 2021 conference discussing digital health, fast becoming a ‘hot’ topic).
2020
For covid-19 contributions, check out Thinking in a time of corona.
#eSkills4Policymakers: From policy recommendations to policy action —Training policymakers on gender equality in ICT policy formulation. (A paper published by the ITU, and co-authored with my former Web Foundation colleagues, outlining the lessons learned from designing & implementing workshops to mainstream gender discourse in ICT policymaking ).
Artificial Intelligence and Governance (a podcast conversation with Goethe Institut-Kenya).
What does data extractivism mean for African development? (I joined a conversation with LSE students on the power dynamics underpinning ‘data for development’).
Accountability in the age of the algorithm: whose experiences matter? (panel discussion at the 2020 CDAC Network conference to discuss reimagining the role of digital technologies in humanitarianism).
AI and machine learning : The future of health data (webinar hosted by PATH with the highlight of having been an all-female panel!)
New era of digital and cyber alliances (Panel discussion at the EU Cyber Forum 2020)
The Work of Thinking (A conversation with the #KECreativesDeserveBetter organisers).
#DigitalDemocracyBuilders: A profile of my work by Citizen Lab
Connecting Digital Access and Youth Empowerment: A Pulse on the Principles (for Digital Development) podcast.
Taking on the Tech Titans: Reclaiming our Data Commons (webinar by the Transnational Institute)
TL;DR☝🏾 : I reflected on some strands, beyond technical aspects on how we take on ‘big tech’ and the urgency of international/institutionalised civil society to lead in walking the talk with respect to values like dignity, justice and diversity. I also point out some of the impracticalities for ‘marginalised majorities’ in the emerging alternatives and tactics to challenge the perverse ‘digital social contracts’ we find ourselves in.
Opening Talk: Latitude Digital Festival
I joined Nikhita Dawan and Souleymane Bachir Diagne for this timely discussion spanning the scope of the festival’s themes: 1)racism, identity and memory 2)economic and digital (in)equality 3) dealing with cultural artefacts and retribution.
Reimagining the Internet: Roadmaps to Digital Equality
I had the pleasure and honour of curating and moderating this panel (at the Latitude Digital Festival) of amazing women of colour working on this topic. (Proposed takeaway: creating a ‘new normal’ where non-male, non-western voices shape global discourses, without being pigeonholed into the narrow ‘global South discussions’ framing).
Feature TV Interview (for) Latitude Digital Festival
Simply complicated: On technological solutions in the global South.
Recalibrating our energy: Is all that glitters with digital technologies really climate action gold?
It Is Our Task to Ensure That Human Rights and Values Drive Digital Technologies (Interview with Bosch Stiftung)
Connecting the other 50 percent (Interview with GIZ)
