Samawati Collective and SemaBOX launch a public-interest AI initiative, bringing together innovators, government, and civil society to ensure artificial intelligence delivers real impact in agriculture and healthcare.
Kenya’s conversation around artificial intelligence shifted from technology to people as Samawati Collective and SemaBOX convened a high-level national dialogue in Nairobi, calling for AI solutions that address the everyday realities of farmers, mothers and frontline healthcare workers rather than remaining confined to pilot projects.
The AI in Agriculture and Health forum, held at Baraza Media Lab, brought together government representatives, innovators, researchers, funders, civil society organisations and technology leaders to explore how artificial intelligence can accelerate food security, improve maternal healthcare and strengthen public service delivery.
The discussions also marked the public launch of a strategic partnership between Samawati Collective and SemaBOX, aimed at building a national movement around public-interest AI aligned with Kenya’s National AI Strategy 2025-2030.
Agriculture remains one of Kenya’s most important economic sectors, contributing roughly one-third of the country’s GDP, with smallholder farmers producing nearly 80 per cent of national agricultural output. Yet many still lack access to timely weather forecasts, market intelligence, and digital advisory services that AI can increasingly provide.
In healthcare, speakers noted that nearly 90 per cent of maternal and newborn deaths in Kenya are preventable, with many linked to delayed recognition of pregnancy-related danger signs and limited access to timely medical advice.
“AI is already making decisions in Kenya’s clinics and farms. The question is whether the people affected by those decisions have a seat at the table,” said Maurice Otieno, Executive Director of Samawati Collective. “Public-interest AI must be built with communities, not simply deployed on them.”
The panel featured leaders from Jacaranda Health, Esri Eastern Africa, and Villgro Africa, who shared examples of AI already improving lives across the country.
Javan Waita, Director of Kenya Programs at Jacaranda Health, highlighted the success of the AI-enabled PROMPTS maternal health platform, which now supports around four million mothers.
“PROMPTS now receives about 15,000 questions every day. AI helps identify the seven per cent that signal medical emergencies and escalates them to clinical nurses,” he said. “That has contributed to a 27 per cent increase in health-seeking behaviour at a lifetime cost of roughly US$2.50 per mother.”
The discussion also focused on sustainability, with panellists warning that innovation can not rely indefinitely on donor funding.
Immanuel Momanyi, Head of Acceleration at Villgro Africa, urged governments to become active buyers of innovation rather than passive beneficiaries.
“If you want true scale, government is the biggest client you will ever have,” he said. “The startups that survive are the ones that build solutions into existing public systems.”
On agriculture, Tina Mkara, Industry Manager for Natural Resources at Esri Eastern Africa, said AI’s greatest value lies beyond predicting rainfall.
“The real opportunity is connecting farmers to insurance, drought-resistant seeds, and better government decision-making using satellite imagery, drones, and geospatial intelligence,” she said.
Panellists also cautioned that AI risks widening inequality if barriers such as internet affordability, digital literacy, and smartphone access are ignored.
They called for locally developed algorithms that incorporate indigenous knowledge alongside scientific research to ensure AI reflects African realities.
As Kenya accelerates its digital transformation, the Nairobi forum delivered a clear message: the future of AI will not be measured by the sophistication of its algorithms alone, but by its ability to improve the lives of the communities it is designed to serve.
