Nairobi – The recent Africa Forward summit in Nairobi hosted jointly by Kenya and France gave women working in the technology sector the chance to discuss issues including the future of artificial intelligence in Africa. RFI spoke to Shikoh Gitau, CEO of tech lab Qhala, about working with France's Mistral AI, and with female leaders in the sector.
Issued on: 24/05/2026 - 08:58Modified: 24/05/2026 - 09:00
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Gitau's lab Qhala in Nairobi specialises in computing and AI and, she says, investing in the "immense potential digitisation holds for Africa's transformation". "Our work is across Africa, but we believe in one thing: we impact locally and influence globally," Gitau told RFI. "We are trying to build a partnership with France that is very unique for the continent. And I'm really excited about it because of its tangibility. It's no longer about talking... because there's a lot of talk. And Europe especially has been blamed for talking a lot about Africa, but not doing. And so our partnership is showing what Europe can do." One example is a new partnership between Qhala and French company Mistral AI "to support and contribute to the development of AI solutions for African markets". Signed last week in Nairobi, the collaboration will see the launch of a Mistral AI accelerator bootcamp and an incubator supporting the development of AI solutions for Kenya and the entire region. The French company has also pledged to support East African start-ups with technical onboarding, mentorship and venture-building – as confirmed at Africa Forward by Mohamed Zouari, Mistral AI's head of revenue for the Middle East and Africa. "Having the French summit here meant that we're able to influence how the French strategy around Africa looks when it comes to AI. We've been working very closely with the French government and some of the French institutions," he said.
