In the countdown to the launch of the Global Data Festival and Kenya Space Expo & Conference in Nairobi, we’ll share regular updates in this blog series on program highlights, insights from experts, sneak peeks from session organizers, and more. Read on to find out more about the joint event and how you can get involved!
Kenya leads a global conversation focused on equitable impact
As technological developments accelerate, budgets tighten, and the geopolitical landscape becomes increasingly complex, there is a critical need to align priorities, mobilize investment, and deploy data and space technology to meet the pressing development challenges the world is facing. As one of the global leaders in driving human-centred technologies and solutions, Kenya sets the stage for this global conversation.
Be part of building the future in Nairobi
From 2-5 June 2026, the Global Data Festival and the Kenya Space Expo & Conference come together in Nairobi for a joint event on “Powering Resilience, Innovation, and Partnership through Data and Technology”.
Over 1,500 peers from around the world join this event and contribute ideas and innovations and deliberate on a bold, collective agenda. The open call for session proposals is your opportunity to bring your innovations and ideas to the table. We encourage outside-the-box thinking and creative session submissions that contribute to creating an engaging program. Submissions close on March 1. Don’t miss this opportunity to get involved.
This event is much more than a conference. It’s a space for dynamic discussions, collaboration, action-oriented commitments, and hands-on learning. Attend for one day, or the whole week, register now to save your spot!
We’re joining forces for an event that brings the data, technology, and space ecosystems into the same room to align standards, governance, and investment, and puts a spotlight on Kenya’s leadership. Focused on collaboration, outcomes, and action, the event complements the World Data Forum and other key gatherings across our communities, driving momentum for a future that serves people and planet.
Jenna Slotin, Interim CEO, Global Partnership
This joint event will bring together government, academia, industry, startups, and international partners, positioning Kenya as a hub for space-enabled innovation and will demonstrate how data-driven technologies accelerate socio-economic transformation and global competitiveness.
Brig. Hillary Kipkosge, Director General, Kenya Space Agency
The power of joining forces
The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and the Kenya Space Agency are co-hosting this event because the work is connected, the moment demands it, and because partnership is how progress happens. Earth observation is central to climate and health, food security, and accountable AI, and strong data systems and governance are what make Earth observation deliver for society. This joint event brings the data, technology and space ecosystems into the same room and puts Kenya’s leadership in responsible innovation front and centre.
We have an opportunity to build trust, and work together for a brighter, fairer future, especially for our next generations…This will be a golden moment to maximize the new opportunities of data, AI, and technology for Africa and the rest of the world.
His Excellency Dr William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya
Get involved
Will you be joining us in Nairobi? Register to attend one or more days here.
If you’re interested in sponsoring the event or having an exhibition booth, reach out to [email protected].
Or spread the word in your networks using this toolkit.
What to expect
The Global Data Festival is the Global Partnership’s flagship event, inviting the international data for development community to connect, prototype, and share ideas on how data can help tackle pressing challenges. The Festival is built around connection and exchanges that can spark new collaborations, surface practical solutions, and build momentum towards shared goals.
The Kenya Space Expo & Conference is an annual event by the Kenya Space Agency that demystifies the complex subject of space technology by highlighting its everyday utility and transformative potential. Fostering the growth of local and regional space industries, inspiring the younger generation to pursue careers in space and STEM, encouraging public-private partnerships, and promoting the importance of policy and regulatory frameworks to guide the sector, the event plays a key role in shaping the future of Kenya’s space capabilities.
