View the schedule of events for Data Tamasha Africa 2026.
Pre-event
Thursday, 6th August
MC
Farhana Alarakhiya, Chief Data Innovation Office, Aga Khan University
Wanjiku Maina, Communications Manager, Pollicy
Lorna Omondi, Strategic Partnerships Lead, Google Research Africa
Akbar Waljee, MD, MSc., Director, University of Michigan Center for Global Health Equity
Maneesh Goyal, Chief Operating Officer, Mayo Clinic Platform
This panel explores what it means to build AI and data-driven healthcare solutions that truly work in context.
Moving beyond whether AI works, the discussion asks where, how, and for whom it is built…examining local data, global collaboration, trust, sustainability, and community relevance in shaping healthcare AI that belongs.
Farhana Alarakhiya, Moderator
Bilal Butt, Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability and a Senior Advisor at the Center for Global Health Equity at the University of Michigan, CGHE, Panelist
Maneesh Goyal, Chief Operating Officer, Mayo Clinic Platform Mayo Clinic, Panelist
Lorna Omondi, Strategic Partnerships Lead, Google Research Africa Google, Panelist
Tshepo Mokoena, Client Liaison Manager, MEDITECH, Panelist
Track 1: Data, AI Governance, and Innovation for Public Value
Bias mitigation techniques and open-source tools for designing more equitable decision-making models.
John Mwangi Megwe, Data Scientist, PAUSTI
Track 2: Safe and Joyful Digital Futures
Barbara Osiro, Business Manager and Lead, Social Impact at Qhala
Short transition into exhibition.
A 2 to 3-minute launch talk before the walkthrough.
Track 1: Data and AI Governance
This session explores how involving peacebuilders in AI model design can improve both performance and real-world relevance. Drawing on Build Up’s research in Kenya and Sudan, it shows how participatory problem definition, annotation, validation, and evaluation can produce stronger text classification tools for detecting polarization and hate speech in conflict contexts.
Allan Cheboi, Data and Digital Technology Lead, Build Up
Track 3: Feminist Innovation and the Digital Economy
This interactive session centers rural women and marginalized communities in shaping ethical, survivor-centered, and accountable data governance through storytelling, dialogue, and community-led digital safety innovations across East Africa.
Josephine Achieng, Founder, Rural Women Action on Street Health (RWASH)
Tech Garden continues.
Day One
Tuesday, 18th August
Day One
Puto Gerald Kikomeko,
Curator of the 2026 Afrofeminist Data Museum
Mageraza
Master of Ceremonies
Ministry of Tourism and Heritage
Dr Mahadia Tunga, Executive Director, dLab
Neema Iyer, Executive Director, Pollicy
This panel grounds the event’s central provocation Kujenga Na Data/Building With Data in the realities of today’s data ecosystem. Dissects what data products and tools are actually being built across the continent, who is building them, for whom they are designed, and critically who is setting the terms of ownership, access, and accountability.
Dr. Nkundwe Moses (Director General ICT Commission)
Fatma Mabrouk Khamis (Principal Secretary, Ministry of ICT & Innovation, Zanzibar)
Dr. Josephine Rogate Kimaro (Executive Secretary of the Zanzibar Planning Commission)
Dr. Mahadia Tunga (dLab Executive Director)
Bonnita Nyamwire (Pollicy)
Mark Bryan Schreiner (Country Representative UNFPA)
Steve Prager (Program Manager GATES Foundation)
Andrew Lentz, U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania
Dr. Emmanuel Lameck Mkilia, Director General, PDPC Tanzania
Hon. Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga, Minister of ICT and Innovation, Zanzibar
Nanjala Nyabola
Mable Amuron, Research Lead, Thraets
Stephano Mkuyu, Extension Officer, President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG)
Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)
A Masterclass exploring how feminist and civic tech organisations in Sub-Saharan Africa can reclaim control of their impact data, and why that control is inseparable from organisational autonomy, funder accountability and community beneficence.
Gabriella Razzano, OpenUp
The session utilizes intersectional research from Research ICT Africa’s Just AI and Inclusive Data Governance programs to discuss collective approaches to data justice, such as monitoring air quality and protecting community living standards.
Pria Chetty, Research ICT Africa
A session to stress-test and co-produce a context-aware audit checklist of what a practical, continent-led public value. AI Audit methodology can look like.
Angela Minayo, African Internet Rights Alliance (AIRA)/ ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa
A hands-on Skills Lab where participants prototype simple, playable games to teach, provoke, and organise around data and digital rights issues that matter to their communities.
Kamogelo Makhoba, PlayLabs
This session examines practical actions, successful models from around the World and opportunities for collaboration to transform Zanzibar into a globally competitive innovation destination.
Ikram Soraga (CEO Zanzibar Startup Association)
Daniel YU, Founder WASOKO
Prof. Prabhu (Principal, Indian Institute of Technology Zanzibar Campus)
Kurtis Lockhart, Founder, Director, Africa Urban Lab)
Sebastian Dietsold, CEO, CPS Africa)
Eng. Omary Bakari (dLab Innovation Consultancy)
Twahir Khalfan, Executive Director · Zanzibar Research Centre for Socio-Economic and Policy Analysis (ZRCP)
This session explores how domestic workers in Kenya are using digital platforms to organise, exchange support, and strengthen resilience within increasingly platform-mediated labour environments.
Prof Salome R.A. Bukachi, The University of Nairobi (UoN)
This session explores how lessons from the Kilimo na Data initiative and the use of AI-driven solutions can bridge the gap between climate data generation and its practical use by farmers and agripreneurs, enabling more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural development across Africa.
Dr. Godfrey Justo (University of Dar es Salaam)
Dr. Maryam Khamis (State University of Zanzibar)
Steven Prager (Gates Foundation)
This session explores how feminist-led organisations in Tanzania are building ethical data futures by weaving together data governance, AI ethics, and community-centred technology to advance the rights of women, girls, and marginalized communities.
Navina Mutabazi, Kijana na AI Initiative
Brenda Geofrey, Barefoot College International
Nafisa Jiddawi, Wajamama
Milele Zanzibar Foundation
This session demonstrates how high-quality, governed, and interoperable data serves as the foundation for effective Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), using Uganda’s Government Digital Registry as a practical case study.
Doreen Gift Bujjingo, Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Uganda
A space to reflect together on how feminist, decolonial, and Indigenous methodologies can challenge and expand knowledge production on technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), centre communities, and open pathways to healing, accountability, justice, and movement building.
Association for Progressive Communications
Tigist Shewarega Hussen, Diana Bichanga
This session presents the key findings and policy recommendations of the TFGBV Mapping Report, exploring technology as a catalyst for empowerment, safety in the digital space, strategic partnerships, and the role of evidence-based decision-making in addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence.
Mark Bryan Schreiner (UNFPA, Tanzania country representative)
Dr. Ali Hamad (Gender Analyst UNFPA)
This session explores how feminist and youth-led approaches can shape ethical, inclusive, and safe digital and data ecosystems in Africa.
Lydia Achieng Odhiambo, Body and Boundaries Africa
This session explores how accessible, interoperable, and locally relevant data ecosystems can accelerate African AI innovation across sectors such as agriculture, climate resilience, healthcare, education, and public service delivery.
GIZ African Union
Saba Tiku, Kuuku Sam
The discussion will examine how private sector responses, including data sharing, content moderation, financial restrictions, and surveillance practices, can adopt a do-no-harm and human rights-based approach that avoids unintended impacts on civil society, freedom of expression, privacy, and association.
ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa
Catherine Mbui, Angela Minayo
Abbas Wandella, Senior Digital Health and Informatics Specialist, D-tree
An interactive session that discusses groundbreaking new recent data from CIGI on technology-facilitated gender-based violence and invites participants to frame recommendations towards more inclusive responses to TFGBV, drawing on that data.
Bonnita Nyamwire, Director of Research, Pollicy
Anja Kovacs, Independent Researcher
Day Two
Farhana Alarakhiya, Chief Data Innovation Officer, Aga Khan University
Masakhane, IDRC, Core23Lab
Edna Kasozi, Personal Data Protection Office, Uganda
Mable Amuron, Research Lead, Thraets
Stephano Mkuyu, Extension Officer, President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG)
Angela Mwemezi, Senior Technology Risk Consultant (Data Analytics), KPMG Advisory Limited
This session highlights the recent efforts in South West and West Africa on how local data informs technology Policies and Regulations there.
Elsa Klarich, Werobotics
Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)
The session explores how removing barriers and advancing gender equity in data science can strengthen talent pipelines, improve model fairness, and increase real-world impact for all.
Khalila Mbowe (Moderator)
Dr. Mahadia Tunga, Executive Director, dLab Tanzania
Fatma, WiDs Fellow
Dr. Maria Lauda Goyayi, Lecturer, Mzumbe University & dLab Consultant
Dr. Zeyana Hamid, MP & C.E.O Hodari
Julia Siefert, FSDT
Connect with fellow data enthusiasts in a laidback environment. Grab a colour when you sign up, each shade points to what you’re looking to connect about (research, funding, tools, policy, collabs…). Rotate through quick, low-pressure chats with your colour, and a few others, for good measure. Spots limited to 40. Sign up on Day 1, first come, first served.
This session seeks to evaluate the real impact of such training on women’s use of the internet and technology, exploring whether the skills gained are actively applied, and if not, understanding the barriers.
Pollicy
Annex Kemanzi, Selamawit Tezera
Online scams are increasingly affecting individuals, businesses and communities in Tanzania and East Africa at large. Journalists often receive scattered reports involving suspicious phone numbers, social media accounts, payment requests and misleading messages, but may lack practical methods to organise and analyse this information.
This interactive session will introduce journalists to simple data journalism techniques to identify patterns in online scam reports and turn them into strong public-interest stories.
Dr. Rose Ruben, Executive Director, TAMWA
Najma Juma Matengo, Information Integrity Consultant and Founder, Swahili Facts
The session aims to help CSOs recognize their role as data controllers, understand their legal obligations, and adopt robust internal data governance frameworks such as those outlined in Amnesty International Kenya’s Data Protection Guidelines for Civil Society Organisations to protect the vulnerable populations they serve.
Amnesty International Kenya
Victor Ndede, Aurelia Miheso
A participatory data-seeing dialogue in which participants challenge infrastructures that flatten or unsee African lived realities and collaboratively develop their own Multiplicity Map that reimagines alternative and more accountable forms of seeing
Berta Fernández Nuez, Infocitizen Project, University of Antwerp
Jeffrey Rubin, Boston University
Moisés Kopper,Infocitizen Project, University of Antwerp
This session will explain and illustrate why it is crucial that we recognise that data about people is embodied data, if we want to ensure we can fully enjoy our rights – including our rights to bodily integrity, autonomy and human dignity – in the age of datafication.
Anja Kovacs, Independent Researcher
This session aims to hold a topical discussion aimed at identifying early trends in leveraging data for private sector innovation, particularly within the agritech and fintech spaces.
Bertha Mponji, UNCDF) Nekesa Wafullah (Agricultural Economist and Climate Venture Builder CIAT)
Paul Damocha (Finance Expert UNCDF)
Eng. Omar Bakar (FSDT)
Ajuaye Sigalla (IFAD)
Emanuel Lukwaro (UNCDF)
Violet Kazimoto (Head of ICT, Ministry of Agriculture Tanzania)
Dr.Twahir Mohammed Khalfan (ZRPC)
Pollicy
A skill building session for African Policymakers on how to monitor and evaluate AI Policies
MERL Tech Initiative
Varaidzo Magodo-Matimba, Emeka Nwankwo
This session introduces ORA which visualizes and uses AI to make accessible restitution data available for Africans.
Chao Tayiana Maina, Open Restitution Africa
Jamii Africa
This hands-on session will help participants turn local community data and needs into practical, responsible AI tool concepts that are useful, inclusive, and accountable to the people they serve.
Mohammed Kateregga, Hello World Africa
Building on a collaborative sprint held at the FemTech Futures pre-event, this session moves to refine the topic and subtopics, prototype the dataset structure and collectively draft the Terms of Reference for a feminist technology dataset that will become an open-access knowledge product available to feminist movements across Africa.
Janine Baudach, GIZ SEA-T
Rashid Kisejjere, Pollicy
This interactive session explores the human and emotional impact of digital environments on activists, journalists, and civil society actors while introducing practical, community-centered approaches to digital wellbeing, resilience, and healthier digital engagement.
Defenders Protection Initiative
Noelyn Nassuna, Fred Drapari
A playful, participatory workshop where participants collectively imagine, sketch, map, and assemble an unfinished dictionary of what safe, joyful, and community-centered African digital futures could look and feel like.
Berta Fernández Nuez, Infocitizen Project, University of Antwerp
DevTransform
Boniface Owino, Senior Analyst
Moses Owori
Natasha Evelyn, Community Development Officer
Stephen Chacha, Executive Director
Civic Tech Innovation Network
Zukiswa Kota
Katlego Mohlabane M, Programme Lead
This session will share key insights from FSDT’s Electronic Payments Ecosystem Assessment, examining how deeper adoption and usage of digital merchant payments can unlock and accelerate Tanzania’s e-commerce potential and contribute to broader economic transformation.
FSDT
Nellin Njovu, Research and Insights Manager
Julia Seifert, Data Analyst
As Day Two draws to a close, we open the floor for an unscripted community dialogue. Up to four participants will be invited to the stage to reflect on the conversations, ideas, and moments that have shaped the Data Tamasha Africa 2026. What stood out and what building with data asks of all of us.
Chilufya Theresa Mulenga, Curator, Data Tamasha Africa 2026
Day Three
Pollicy
Neema Iyer, Phillip Ayazika
Defenders Protection Initiative
Noelyn Nassuna, Fred Drapari
Domina Kiunsi, Partner, Mnemba Technologies
David Mugerwa, Project Hello World
African builders and founders whose work embodies the move from technology consumers to technology creators, and from data subjects to data stewards.
Valarie Waswa, Lawyer and Curator Data Tamasha Africa
Prof. Brian Donnellan, Innovation Value Institute
Doreen Kaijage, The Launchpad Tanzania
Gervaz Lushaju, Multi-Disciplinary Creative
Tapiwa Matsvai, Poet & Creative Writer, Wahenga Wapya
DLab
Varaidzo Magodo-Matimba, MERL Tech
Chris Maloney, Hewlett and Flora Foundation
Neema Iyer, Pollicy
Janine Baudach, GIZ
A hands-on session using real datasets to build simple, compelling visuals for advocacy.
Wilson Lukwago, Design Manager, Pollicy
A hands-on session using real datasets to build simple, compelling visuals for advocacy.
Kamogelo Makhoba
Pollicy, dLab