Nairobi hosts world's top digital knowledge contributors

Participants attend sessions during Wikimania 2025 in Nairobi, the first edition of the global Wikipedia conference held in East Africa. [Noel Nabiswa, Standard]

Nairobi has become the centre of global discussions on free knowledge and online collaboration as volunteers and experts from around the world gathered to share projects and ideas shaping the internet.

Nearly 2,300 participants from 135 countries joined in person and online, with almost half under 34 years old, reflecting a surge of youth engagement in digital knowledge creation.

The programme featured over 200 sessions, including discussions on artificial intelligence, preserving linguistic diversity, and partnerships to expand access to information. Eight volunteers were recognised for their exceptional contributions with the Wikimedian of the Year award.

Wikimania 2025, the 20th edition of the annual conference celebrating Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, took place in Nairobi from Wednesday, August 6, to Saturday, August 9. It marked the first time the event was hosted in East Africa, highlighting the region’s growing role in the global knowledge ecosystem.

Maryana Iskander, Chief Executive Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, said the conference recognised the contributions of volunteers worldwide. “This is a celebration of 20 years of collaboration and the incredible contributions that have made our movement strong and successful,” said Iskander.

Organisers said the next Wikimania will be held in Paris in 2026, coinciding with Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary.