Huawei and the Konza Technopolis Development Authority have launched an AI-powered contact center platform at the Siaya Community Digital Hub, marking the first time a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) operation has been established within a government-backed digital hub in Kenya.
The launch took place during the Siaya Digital Summit 2026 held in Bondo, where government officials, technology partners, and local youth gathered to explore how digital infrastructure, skills development, and creative industries can drive economic growth in the region.
The new platform enables the hub to offer customer support services across multiple channels, including messaging, web platforms, and phone. Twenty young people from Siaya County have already been trained to operate the system, using AI tools that assist in responding to customer inquiries, automatically log interactions, and analyze service records to improve productivity.
The BPO operation is expected to serve both local organizations and international clients, creating new job opportunities for young people while expanding digital services beyond Kenya’s major cities.
Huawei says the project is designed as a pilot that could be replicated in other digital hubs across the country.
According to Ruth Mokaya, Cloud Solutions Engineer at Huawei, the initiative demonstrates how technology can expand economic opportunities in rural areas.
“When young people are equipped with the right skills, they improve their own livelihoods while uplifting entire communities,” she said. Mokaya added that the project aligns with Huawei’s global Tech4All initiative, which aims to improve digital inclusion through technology and skills development.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, William Kabogo, who attended the summit, said the government is focused on ensuring digital opportunities are accessible to young people across the country.
“The success of Kenya’s digital transformation will ultimately be measured by how widely opportunities are shared,” Kabogo said. “Talent exists everywhere, and our responsibility as government is to ensure young people have access to the infrastructure, skills, and platforms needed to participate in the digital economy.”
Kabogo noted that combining Huawei’s technology with Konza’s data infrastructure and the country’s network of digital hubs could help create employment opportunities while enabling Kenyan youth to provide globally competitive digital services.
The summit also featured digital skills training for 100 young people under the Huawei Certified ICT Associate (HCIA) program. The training covered networking, cabling, and ICT infrastructure management-skills needed to support Kenya’s expanding digital infrastructure.
Kenya is currently rolling out more than 100,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable as part of its Digital Superhighway initiative, a project expected to significantly increase connectivity and create technical employment opportunities.
“Rolling out 100,000 km of fibre is creating jobs for our youth,” Kabogo said, adding that digital hubs are intended to serve as local centers for training, collaboration, and digital work.
John Paul Okwiri, CEO of Konza Technopolis Development Authority, said community digital hubs are becoming an important part of Kenya’s growing digital ecosystem.
“Digital hubs such as this one provide young people with access to infrastructure, mentorship, and collaborative spaces,” Okwiri said. “They are part of a broader ecosystem that includes initiatives like Konza Digital Media City, designed to empower creators, developers, and digital professionals.”
For some of the participants, the training has already opened new opportunities.
Olivier Ogawa, one of the 20 youth trained in BPO operations, said the program provided practical experience in digital communication and customer support platforms.
“These skills give us the confidence to compete for digital jobs and generate income from wherever we are,” he said.
The Siaya Community Digital Hub is part of the government’s Jitume Digital Hubs programme, which aims to establish digital hubs in all 1,450 wards across Kenya. So far, 290 hubs have been launched nationwide, reaching more than 400,000 young people.
With more than 75 percent of Kenya’s population under the age of 35, government and industry leaders say initiatives like the Siaya hub are critical for connecting youth to opportunities in remote work, freelancing, digital content creation, and outsourcing services.
Officials at the summit emphasized that collaboration between government, technology companies, and local communities will be essential to ensure digital transformation leads to meaningful economic opportunities.
“Kenya’s digital future will be built not only in our major cities but in counties across the country where young people are ready to innovate, create, and lead,” Kabogo said.
Go to TECHTRENDSKE.co.ke for more tech and business news from the African continent and across the world.
Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to editorial@techtrendsmedia.co.ke
