Kenya, 11 November 2025 – Kenya’s newest city, Eldoret, pulsated with ambition on Monday as Moi University hosted the inaugural Kenya Software and AI Summit 2025.
As leaders and participants celebrated technological progress, the host governor, Dr Jonathan Bii of Uasin Gishu County, came up with a controversial idea.
Governor Bii floated plans to rename the county “Eldoret City County”, arguing it would better reflect the urban centre’s elevated city status and attract investment.
"Nairobi the capital is Nairobi County, Mombasa is Mombasa County, Kisumu City is Kisumu County, while Nakuru City is Nakuru County. But when it comes to Eldoret City it is Uasin Gishu County!" Governor Bii exclaimed.
He noted that recently he was in China and many people there don't know the difference or relationship between Eldoret City and Uasin Gishu County.
"Many people in China don't know much about Eldoret and Uasin Gishu. The name Uasin Gishu itself, they find it difficult to pronounce," he said.
He urged AI summit participants to come up with strategies to market Uasin Gishu County, leveraging technology.
The proposal, announced on Monday, immediately sparked backlash.
Social media users flooded the platforms insisting “Uasin Gishu is bigger than Eldoret” and accusing the governor of sidelining rural communities.
One widely shared statement dismissed the idea as “Governor Bii’s imagination”, claiming the historic Maasai-derived name should remain untouched.
The name means "an area for grazing".
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who attended the summit, outlined a visionary blueprint for Africa’s digital future while cautioning on the perils of unchecked technology.
Speaking to a packed auditorium, Mr Mudavadi, who is also the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, hailed the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030 as a pillar for turning AI into a “national superpower”.
He stressed responsible governance, ethical deployment, and digital sovereignty, warning that Africa must craft its own technological destiny rather than remain a mere consumer of foreign innovation.
“Kenya stands ready to write the next chapter of Africa’s technological journey, one defined not by consumption, but by creation, not by dependency, but by leadership,” he declared.
Mr Mudavadi highlighted massive infrastructure gains — 37,000 km of new fibre optic cable, public Wi-Fi serving two million users monthly, and programmes such as Ajira and Jitume that have trained over 600,000 youths in coding and data science.
Yet he issued a stern reminder on digital discipline: “Your digital footprint is very important. Some nations now examine your digital data before issuing a visa.”
He urged young innovators to prioritise integrity, warning that online misconduct could jeopardise global opportunities.
The PCS also warned the younger generation against interfering with political affairs of neighbouring nations.
"The freedoms and liberties you enjoy here in Kenya don't mistake it with elsewhere. In some nations those social media activities are heavily monitored. When you step out of the Kenyan soil, please restrain yourselves as they have their own constitutions," he said.
The summit, featuring hackathons, start-up pitches, and policy forums, underscored Eldoret’s rising status as a knowledge economy node. It focuses on software development as a strategic national asset, promoting digital sovereignty, innovation, and software exports from Kenya to the world.
It will end on Wednesday.
Governor Jonathan Bii Proposes County Name Change From Uasin Gishu to Eldoret
Eldoret Positions Itself as Kenya’s Tech Hub
