Kenya Space Agency

KENYA HOSTS REGIONAL SPACE LAW TECHNICAL ADVISORY MISSION FOR AFRICA

The Regional Space Law Technical Advisory Mission for the African Region officially kicked off today at the Luigi Broglio Malindi Space Centre (LBMSC) Malindi, Kenya. Running from 10 to 13 November 2026, the 4-day mission is organized by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Kenya Space Agency (KSA). The event brings together international experts and representatives from African space institutions across 16 nations to strengthen regional capacity in space law and policy.

The mission was officially opened by Dr. Patrick Mariru CBS, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Defence.

In his remarks, the PS highlighted the importance of robust legal frameworks in safeguarding national space assets and promoting the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space.

“A robust legal framework is also a key pillar of national security. It provides safeguards for our space assets, helps prevent harmful interference, strengthens confidence and cooperation among States, and contributes to ensuring that outer space remains a domain for peaceful use, in accordance with international law and principles for long-term sustainability,” he stated.

During the opening session, Ambassador Vincenzo del Monaco of Italy to Kenya and Major General Hillary Kipkosgey, Director General of the KSA, emphasized the value of regional cooperation in shaping Africa's space governance. They noted that collaboration among African nations will help establish a unified approach to regulating space activities.

Through expert-led presentations, interactive discussions and practical table-top exercises, participants will explore approaches to developing and strengthening national space policies, legal frameworks and institutional arrangements tailored to their respective countries.

WORLDCEREAL CROP MAPPING TRAINING.

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) Director General, Maj Gen Hillary Kipkosgey, joined stakeholders in Nairobi for the WorldCereal System Training Workshop, conducted at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Westlands on November 5 to 6 2026.
The workshop convened by KSA and organized in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the WorldCereal Consortium, focuses on the utilization of the WorldCereal processing architecture for crop mapping.
The WorldCereal system is an open-source, flexible, and scalable platform that enables users to generate customized crop maps that can be tailored to specific geographic regions, growing seasons, and crop types. It leverages public and private reference data, freely available high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) satellite imagery, meteorological time-series data, and advanced machine learning algorithms.
The two-day hands-on training aims to equip participants with the technical skills to integrate the cloud-based platform into their daily toolsets for local and global crop monitoring. It will also build the capacity required to utilize the WorldCereal platform deployed at the newly launched Earth Observation Innovation Laboratory at the Taita Taveta University. In his remarks, the DG noted that Agriculture remains a critical pillar of Kenya's economy, supporting livelihoods, providing employment, and contributing to national food security. However, the sector continues to face challenges associated with climate variability, recurrent droughts and floods, changing land-use patterns, and the growing need for reliable agricultural statistics to inform planning and decision-making.
This workshop presents a strategic opportunity to strengthen local technical and institutional capacity, promote national ownership, and integrate advanced agricultural monitoring capabilities into existing geospatial data infrastructures and operational workflows.
These efforts aim to enhance the use of Earth Observation technologies in creating opportunities and addressing the challenges facing Kenya's agricultural sector.

Highlights from the launch of the Earth Observation Innovation Laboratory (EOIL) at Taita Taveta University, featuring insights from Taita Taveta Governor, H.E. Dr. Andrew Mwadime, Kenya Space Agency Director General, Maj Gen Hillary Kipkosgey, and other stakeholders on the facility’s role in driving innovation, strengthening research and harnessing satellite data to support socio-economic development.

We also extend our sincere appreciation to Expertise France, the EU Global Gateway, Taita Taveta University and the University of Nairobi for their valuable collaboration and support.

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) Director General, Maj Gen Hillary Kipkosgey, today joined the Governor of Taita Taveta County, H.E. Dr. Andrew Mwadime, EGH, and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Administration, Finance and Planning at Taita Taveta University (TTU), Prof. Kiptanui Too, for the official launch of the Earth Observation Innovation Laboratory (EOIL) at TTU.

The launch marks a significant milestone in expanding access to satellite data, strengthening technical skills and creating opportunities in Kenya’s growing space sector.

The EOIL is an innovation hub that enables students, researchers and industry experts to access geospatial data, digital infrastructure and open-source geospatial tools. It supports the development of innovative geospatial applications to address challenges in agriculture, climate resilience and urban planning, while strengthening Kenya’s data governance capacity.

Conceptualized in 2024 under the European Union-funded Data Governance in Africa Initiative, the project is funded by the European Union and France, implemented by Expertise France in partnership with the Kenya Space Agency, and hosted by Taita Taveta University and the University of Nairobi.

Through the laboratory, students, innovators, startups and institutions will benefit from access to geospatial data, technical training, certification, prototyping facilities, networking opportunities and expert support.

The EOIL represents more than access to technology; it is a platform for unlocking potential, advancing research, fostering innovation, and transforming satellite data into practical solutions.

KSA remains committed to promoting innovation and developing the necessary infrastructure to support research and innovation for sustainable national development. We sincerely thank all our partners whose collaboration, commitment, and support have made this milestone possible.

That’s a wrap on the East Africa Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) Training Workshop!

From 26 to 30 October 2026, the Kenya Space Agency (KSA), in collaboration with Kenyatta University, brought together students and emerging researchers from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan for five days of hands-on training and knowledge exchange in radio astronomy at Kenyatta University’s Kitui Campus.

Through practical sessions and expert-led discussions, participants gained valuable insights into TART operations, data calibration, radio imaging and the applications of radio astronomy.

Hear from the facilitators, the KSA team and participants as they share their experiences, key takeaways and reflections from the workshop.

We also extend our sincere thanks to the University of Cambridge, the University of Otago (New Zealand) and the National Research Foundation / South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRF/SARAO) for their support.