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
Monday, Tuesday, 17th – 18th August
Day One
Puuto Gerald Kikomeko,
Curator of the 2026 Afrofeminist Data Museum
Ministry of Tourism and Heritage
Dr Mahadia Tunga, Executive Director, dLab
Neema Iyer, Executive Director, Pollicy
Minister of ICT & Innovation, Zanzibar
President of Zanzibar
Khalila Mbowe (Moderator)
DG ICT Commission
Permanent Secretary Ministry of ICT &Â Innovation Zanzibar
Dr. Mahadia Tunga
Bonnita Nyamwire, Pollicy
Country Representative UNFPA / Country Representative UNCDF
Program Manager GATES Foundation
Mable Amuron, Research Lead, Thraets
Martha Iyambo and Mbanangwa Cynthia Kwilasya,
MK Legal Consultancy.
Stephano Mkuyu, Extension Officer, President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG)
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)
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)
Jumanne Mtambalike (CEO Sahara Ventures)
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)
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.
Tigist Shewarega Hussen, Association for Progressive Communications
Diana Bichanga, Association for Progressive Communications
An interactive session exploring how Afro-feminist perspectives can reshape data governance toward equity, justice, and grounded digital futures.
ARTICLE 19 West Africa
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.
Saba Tiku, GIZ African UnionÂ
Kuuku Sam, GIZ African Union
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.
Catherine Mbui, ARTICLE 19 Eastern AfricaÂ
Angela Minayo, ARTICLE 19 Eastern AfricaÂ
Abbas Wandella, Senior Digital Health and Informatics Specialist, D-tree
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
Day Two
Angela Mwemezi, Senior Technology Risk Consultant (Data Analytics), KPMG Advisory Limited
Leka Tingitana
Fatma
Domina Kiunsi, Partner, Mnemba Technologies
Peterking Quaye, Centre for Data Governance & Regulatory Excellence
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
Sunna Salum
Rabia Omary
Dr Salome Maro
Dr . Zeana Hamid (MP & C.E.O Hodari)
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
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
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, PollicyÂ
Anja Kovacs, Independent Researcher
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 Uganda
David Mugerwa, Project Hello World
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
Zukiswa Kota, Civic Tech Innovation Network
Katlego Mohlabane M. CTIN, Programme Lead
Day Three
Dr. Marialauda Goyayi (dLab)
Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)
Moderated by Varaidzo Magodo-Matimba
African builders and founders whose work embodies the move from technology consumers to technology creators, and from data subjects to data stewards.
Moderated by Neema Iyer
Prof Brian Donnellan, Innovation Value Institute
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.
Pollicy
Bonaventure Saturday, Annex Kemanzi