Safaricom Decode 4.0, held at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi from March 31 to April 2, 2026, has wrapped up after three intense days of innovation, hands-on workshops, keynote speeches and major product unveilings.
Themed “Made of Kenya Edition,” the summit marked 25 years of Safaricom’s journey while firmly placing artificial intelligence at the centre of the company’s — and Kenya’s — next phase of digital growth.
What set this year’s Decode apart was its clear shift from high-level conversations to practical, buildable solutions.
Over 60 speakers, alongside thousands of developers, students, creatives and policymakers, gathered to explore how AI, APIs and emerging technologies can solve everyday Kenyan challenges and unlock new opportunities.
The atmosphere remained electric throughout — from packed auditoriums to buzzing Builder Labs where participants coded live AI tools.
Days 1 & 2: Vision, Policy and the Practical Power of Intelligent Systems
The first two days focused heavily on technology and fintech. Safaricom executives, including Group CTO James Maitai and CFO Dilip Pal, used the platform to announce significant new investments in AI infrastructure and developer-friendly APIs.
The biggest headline came early: the official launch of My OneApp, Safaricom’s new AI-powered super app that merges the standalone M-Pesa and MySafaricom applications into one seamless platform.
For the first time, users can view their M-Pesa balance, airtime, bundles, bills, investments, lending options and other services in a single place without switching between apps.
The app goes beyond convenience. It uses artificial intelligence to learn individual user habits — how often someone transacts, which contacts they engage with most, and which services they frequently use — then automatically surfaces the most relevant features on the home screen.
This enables quicker access to personalised bundles, automated bill payments, fast investments and even biometric authentication.
The platform now supports more than 80 mini-applications, including gaming, news and third-party services, effectively transforming it into a full digital lifestyle ecosystem.
To support this upgrade, Safaricom has significantly enhanced its backend systems.
The new infrastructure can handle up to 6,000 transactions per second — a major leap from the previous capacity of around 100 transactions per second — ensuring the app remains fast and reliable even during peak usage.
Alongside My OneApp, Safaricom highlighted major progress in agentic AI — intelligent systems capable of acting autonomously, managing complex multi-step processes and making decisions with minimal human input.
These tools are already being deployed for predictive maintenance on the M-Pesa network, fraud detection, personalised customer offers and energy optimisation across infrastructure.
Developers spent hours in hands-on Builder Labs and Code Labs building real AI-powered applications.
Participants created chatbots, predictive financial systems and automation tools using modern frameworks, reinforcing that AI is no longer a distant concept but a practical tool Kenyan developers can adopt today.
Day 3: Creativity, Culture and Democratising Manufacturing
The final day expanded the focus beyond core technology to Kenya’s creative and manufacturing sectors.
Popular artists Iyanii and Ssaru took to the main stage to discuss how AI and digital tools can empower local creatives.
They shared real experiences of using AI in music production, content creation and reaching global audiences, while stressing the importance of keeping Kenyan culture and talent at the centre of innovation.
A major highlight was the live demonstration of Sara the Robot, an interactive AI-powered humanoid that stole the show.
Sara engaged directly with the audience, answering questions, performing simple tasks and demonstrating real-time human-AI collaboration.
Attendees watched in amazement as Sara processed natural language, made decisions on the spot and even cracked jokes in a mix of English and Sheng.
The robot showcased how intelligent systems can work alongside humans rather than replace them — from assisting in customer service to supporting creative workflows.
The Sara demonstration drove home the summit’s central theme: AI should augment human potential.
Developers and students had the chance to interact with Sara, asking her questions about Kenyan culture, technology and everyday life.
The session ended with loud applause and sparked lively discussions about the future of robotics in education, healthcare and entertainment in Kenya.
Experts Warn of a Serious AI Skills Gap
Despite the overall optimism, several speakers issued a clear warning. Kenya risks falling behind in the global AI race if it does not urgently address the AI skills and talent gap.
While infrastructure and investment are expanding rapidly, there are still too few trained developers, data scientists and AI specialists to scale these ambitions effectively.
The call to action was direct: stronger collaboration is needed between government, universities, Safaricom and the private sector to train more young Kenyans in AI, data science and digital infrastructure.
Without this, the benefits outlined at Decode 4.0 may remain out of reach for many.
Final Takeaways from Decode 4.0
Across three days, Safaricom Decode 4.0 delivered a practical and forward-looking roadmap.
The launch of My OneApp and increased investment in agentic AI underscored Safaricom’s commitment to making mobile money smarter, faster and more inclusive.
The creative sessions with Iyanii and Ssaru, alongside the 3D printing demonstrations, showed that technology must serve culture, manufacturing and everyday innovation — not just large corporations.
The summit closed on a note of both excitement and urgency: excitement about the tools and opportunities now available to Kenyan developers and creatives, and urgency to close the skills gap so every Kenyan — from M-Pesa users in rural areas to young makers in urban workshops — can participate in the Age of Intelligent Systems.
Decode 4.0 has set a bold tone for Safaricom’s next 25 years. The key question now is not whether Kenya will embrace AI, but how quickly the country can build the talent, infrastructure and inclusive policies needed to turn that vision into reality for all.
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