Wikimania:Expressions of Interest/2025/Nairobi, Kenya

Expression of interest: Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract/description

In a few sentences tell us about your submissions. What made you and your community want to host the next Wikimania?

An East African Wikimania

Wikimedia Community User Group Kenya would like to host Wikimania 2025 in the Capital Nairobi, Kenya. This will be a great opportunity to bring the world to East Africa and the third time in Africa for Wikimania. It will be also an opportunity to explore and learn about Kenya and Eastern Africa and more about the African continent.

The opportunity to host Wikimania comes at a time when the movement is experiencing a growth of African communities and this will be a great time for the region that has always been known for it's great collaborative spirit to rally around hosting Wikimania.

Historically, as we have heard, visas have always been a major obstacle that has locked out many African wikimedians from Wikimedia and hosting Wikimania in Kenya will help remove this barrier in 2025.

Nairobi is popularly known as the "Silicon Savanah" owing to its robust technological infrastructure. A number of global tech companies including Google, Meta and Microsoft have set up offices in Nairobi. We hope that the global nature of the conference will help unlock partnerships for Wikimedians in the region, especially at this time the region is exploring the idea of a regional hub with the EA Regional and Thematic Hub (EARTH).

Organizers

Who is submitting this expression of interest? List individuals or groups.

Wikimedia Community User Group Kenya
Team Member	Roles
Planning and Organising lead		Cmwaura
Planning and Organising Lead		Jadnapac
Communication		Ms Kabintie & Terry Boke
Scholarship		Sandra Aceng
WMF Liason		Mehrdad & Ms Kabintie
Logistics		Ndahiro derrick
Documentation		AKibombo

Requirements

Interested community groups do not need to have a venue selected, contracts drafted or sponsors lined up. This is why we are starting the process early. Please provide solid information about the points below to help our decision making. We will be taking into account various factors about potential sites and hosts especially the cost, accessibility, security, global rotation of Wikimania, and the strength of the organizing team. We hope to announce the location of the 2024 Wikimania by March, 2023. If you are interested in hosting a Wikimania in 2025 or later, you can submit your expression here as well.

Venue + lodging

Nairobi is a hub for international conferences and with unmatched hospitality and a welcoming nature for Kenyans we would be spoilt for choice when it comes to conference and accommodation facilities.

We also have a supportive government and particularly the Nairobi County Government led by Governor Johnson Sakaja. We are positive that we can leverage the goodwill and networks we have; for the Wikimedia Kenya UG and the Foundation to forge a partnership with the Nairobi County government that can help us secure a venue at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC).

Other Hotel options for both Conferencing and accommodation facilities

Travel + visas

Kenya is quite accessible by air and road and boasts of a wide connection of both international and local flights. The biggest airport is the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, located 15-minute drive from the city center.

The availability of other international airports such as the Moi Intl Airport in Mombasa, also makes it convenient for Wikimedians who may wish to explore the coastal side of Kenya, which is famed for white sandy beaches and great historical sites such as the Fort Jesus.

Visas: evisa

All visitors to Kenya are eligible to apply for the Republic of Kenya eVisa online without having to visit a Kenyan diplomatic mission, or obtain the visa on arrival. More information about visa requirements can be found here See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Kenya

List of airlines Flying to Kenya

Facilities + services

Kenya is known for its robust tourism sector, which is the second-largest source of foreign exchange revenue, following agriculture [1].

Hosting Wikimania will give a chance to our fellow Wikimedians to sample Magical Kenya. Starting with the Nairobi National Park, which is the only park in the world located within a city center.

About 20-30 mins drive from the city center is also the popular Giraffe Manor, where you can get up close with giraffes while dining. There is also the Shedrick Wildlife Trust where you can adopt a baby elephant.

The National Museums of Kenya is located about 15 minutes from the Nairobi Central Business District whose role is to collect, preserve, study, document and present Kenya’s past and present cultural and natural heritage; and conservation of the biological diversity of the East African region. The Museum is open to the public both locals and foreigners.

Safety + security

Kenya is relatively safe for both citizens and foreigners. Like any other major city cases of muggings and pickpockets are common, especially in downtown areas but the central business district is safe.

LGBTQ rights & safety Even though homosexuality is outlawed in Kenya; article 26 of the constitution of Kenya upholds the right to life. There has not been any reported cases of arrests or persecution of individuals based on their sexual orientation. There are also plenty of civil society organizations in Kenya pushing for the rights of the LGBT community. Kenya’s Supreme Court also recently made a ruling upholding the rights of the LGBTQ community against discrimination and freedom of association.

Alternate locations

Time

August 2025

Additional

Any other details that you think would be helpful for the Wikimania Steering Committee.

Endorsements

We kindly invite you to endorse our bid to host Wikimania 2025 in our East Africa region. Please remember to put your signature after your endorsement by placing four tildes ~ at the end of your endorsement or alternatively, you can just click the signature icon on your editing menu.

Support I strongly endorse that Wikimania 2025 happen in East Africa, Kenya in particular. This will be a historical Wikimania to ever happen in the East Africa region and for the second time in Africa since 2018 in South Africa. It will be a great opportunity for African Wikimedians and Wikimedians across the globe at large to convene, network, collaborate share experiences and further explore the potential of Africa as far as the future of the Wikimedia movement is concerned.Karibuni Afrika! Jadnapac (talk) 16:19, 26 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Musindi250 (talk) 10:35, 11 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support This is a very good suggestion and action in the right direction. I hope to see this in reality. Kariboni Wikimedians to Kenya: the Pride of Africa in 2025. James Moore200 (talk) 11:21, 11 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support - All progressive African wikimedians are solidly behind this bid, we are confident of the capacity of this East Africa alliance to deliver a most amazing conference. The diverse wildlife and serenity of Kenya makes for a perfect location. No doubt this will be a most memorable conference.--Wilson (talk) 11:52, 11 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support I am confident in the capability of this community to successfully host the conference. Ruby D-Brown (talk) 13:00, 11 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support I support this move to bring Wikimania to Africa again. Wikimania in Kenya will grow more opportunities for opening up knowledge about Africa by Africans. On the other hand, Kenya has great natural tourist attractions that visitors from all over the world would really enjoy. Most importantly, the core organizing team are deeply entrenched Wikimedians that have the capabilities to organize a memorable conference. AfricanLibrarian (talk) 22:17, 11 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support I am confident in the capability of kenya to successfully host the wikimania conference 2025 in the east Africa. Ogalihillary (talk) 22:23, 11 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support This is a great proposal which will ensure inclusivity and diversity we yearn for in the movement if granted. Africa needs to catch up with the growing knowledge space and I believe that Wikimania in Kenya is a great way to build strong capacity, awareness and knowledge ecosystem in Africa. Obuezie (talk) 05:29, 12 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support -Masssly (talk) 08:00, 12 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support - XR98 (talk) 09:06, 12 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Rose ugwoke (talk) 05:18, 12 May 2023 (UTC)[reply] Rose ugwoke (talk) 16:19, 12 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support - TheJackNation (talk) 11:00, 13 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support I am confident in the capability of kenya to successfully host the wikimania conference 2025 in the east Africa. Jeremyida002 (talk) 22:23, 11 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I'm happy that this conference is been brought to Africa.i thereby endorse the movement.Viva33 (talk) 18:47, 13 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Support I am confident in the capability of kenya to successfully host the wikimania conference 2025 in the east Africa.Stephanie Cheks(talk) 22:23, 11 May 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Hosting Wikimania in the heart of Africa would be an achievement and proof of the diversity of the movement. It looks like they have gathered a good team to make it happen. Poco a poco (talk) 04:09, 15 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Africa is very underrepresented in the Wikimedia movement casualdejekyll (en-N) 22:35, 28 August 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Hosting Wikimania in an Africa country would be a clear sign that the diversity of the movement is an empowering process. Wikimedians from Kenya will have the support of Wikimedians across the world for preparing a successful event.Klaul (talk) 14:19, 27 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support I have full trust that the Kenyan, and the East African community as a whole can host a successful Wikimania. Also, Wikimania and Africa will showcase the potential and innovativeness of African Wikimedians, as well our diversity as a movement. It will contribute towards greater representation of Africa in the global community. NikosLikomitros (talk) 03:36, 26 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support --Wandelndes Lexikon (talk) 20:54, 4 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
I think a lot of people are missing an issue with hosting this in a "developed" country - visa issues. As a result, I think hosting it in a normally marginalised region is a good idea. Leaderboard (talk) 18:18, 7 March 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Question: You mention Google, Meta and Microsoft, which are authoritarian organisations opposed to the Wikimedia community principles of free and open software (FOSS) and our aims of developing an open knowledge community and refusing to propagate hate speech; Meta/Facebook is particularly involved in the promotion of hate speech with real-world effects of killing/torture/rape. Could you please give us some URLs of active FOSS groups in Kenya? The WMF wikis are fundamentally FOSS: we will not allow GAFAM to extinguish (EEE) our open knowledge community. Boud (talk) 20:40, 23 June 2024 (UTC)[reply]