On January 15, 2026, Wikipedia marked its 25th anniversary, triggering celebrations across the world. In Kenya, the Wikimedia Kenya User Group marked the milestone on Friday, January 30, with a focus on gaps in how Kenyan knowledge is created and represented online.
The event focused on who produces knowledge on open platforms and whose histories, languages, and experiences are missing from the digital record, despite rising internet use across the country.
Speaking during the celebration, Wikimedia Kenya Executive Director Winnie Kabintie said Wikipedia’s model depends on human contribution and collective responsibility rather than automated systems.
“Wikipedia is not built by algorithms. It is built by people, What we choose to write, preserve, and share determines whose knowledge is visible.” Kabintie said.
Presentations at the event showed that Kenyan content on Wikipedia continues to grow, but major gaps remain. These include limited coverage of women, local leaders, and underrepresented communities, as well as low participation by women as editors.
Organisers noted that only a small share of biographies on the English Wikipedia focus on women, reflecting broader inequalities in who is documented and whose contributions are recognised. Participation gaps were also linked to access to digital skills, time, and mentorship.
Language emerged as another concern. While Kiswahili is widely spoken, content in Kiswahili and other local languages remains limited online. Participants highlighted the risk of local knowledge being excluded when it is not recorded in formats recognised by global platforms.
Data shared during the event pointed to wider structural challenges, including low digital literacy, the commercialisation of information, and uneven access to verified sources. These factors, speakers said, shape what information circulates widely and what remains invisible.
Discussions also examined the relationship between open knowledge and emerging technologies. Participants warned that artificial intelligence systems trained on incomplete or biased data risk reproducing the same gaps found on the internet today, unless local knowledge is actively added and maintained.
Wikimedia Kenya outlined its strategic priorities for the coming years, including growing and sustaining editor communities, increasing youth and women participation, strengthening partnerships with universities and cultural institutions, and expanding content in local languages.
