Kenya: Google hosts innovation forum

9 Sep 2010

Google held an event, called Google G-Kenya, that brought together hundreds of tech-savvy entrepreneurs and developers at a web and mobile conference at Strathmore University, Nairobi on 6 September 2010, where over 1200 engineers, product managers, entrepreneurs, students and web developers gathered to discuss the future of web application development, and receive training on Google's products and online business skills.

Google also announced the Kenyan launch of Android Market - an open distribution channel for mobile applications that allows developers to distribute their applications to users worldwide on a level playing field. Using Android Market, mobile users can find and download a wide range of free innovative software applications ranging from games to location-based services and on-the-go shopping.

Web development in Africa

G-Kenya is Google's contribution towards driving the web forward in Africa, and highlighting the entrepreneurial opportunities presented by the internet. The G-Kenya meeting focused on Google's developer and business technologies ranging from Android, mobile development and AppEngine to Google Maps for business, website optimisation and online advertising.

"This is a significant event for us in Kenya, which we hope will engage the local tech and business communities, and highlight the opportunities of the web. Our aim is to make the internet more locally relevant and useful to Kenyans, to enable meaningful product development, and strengthening a vibrant and self-sufficient internet ecosystem in Arica," said Nelson Mattos, Google Engineering VP for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

The G-Kenya conference is the latest in a series of interactive forums and tech days that Google has been holding across Africa this year, to promote innovation and business in the region. Google's most recent developer and entrepreneur event took place in Kampala last week, whilst the next one will take place in Cape Town in November 2010.

Carole Kimutai

About Carole Kimutai

Carole Kimutai is a writer and editor based in Nairobi, Kenya. She is currently an MA student in New Media at the University of Leicester, UK. Follow her on Twitter at @CaroleKimutai.