Kenya Space Agency and Expertise France Forge Landmark Partnership to Advance Space Innovation

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) Director General Brig. Hillary Kipkosgei hosted an executive delegation from Expertise France, led by its Director General, Jeremy Pellet. During this meeting, the two leaders signed a landmark cooperation agreement aimed at fostering greater synergy in space-related collaborations.

KSA, a state corporation mandated to promote, coordinate, and regulate space activities in Kenya, plays a pivotal role in leveraging space science, technology, and services for national socio-economic development. Its objectives include enhancing the development of national space capabilities and nurturing the growth of the space sector to maximize the benefits of space technologies for Kenya’s progress.

Expertise France, the French public international cooperation agency, designs and implements projects that contribute to the balanced development of partner countries. Its efforts align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and France’s external action priorities.
The DG KSA reiterated the great synergy that had been developed between KSA and EF in joint activities and outreach throughout 2024. He reassured the EF colleagues that the Kenyan government as a whole was keen on developing strategic partnerships, as envisaged by EF, to jointly develop programmes that would benefit Kenya and Africa.

The Director General of Expertise France emphasized the importance of synergy, collaboration, and partnerships as essential drivers of impactful outcomes. He highlighted the significant progress achieved in collaboration with the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) and outlined broad areas of focus for future joint efforts, including:

– Capability and Capacity Building: Programs aimed at strengthening human and institutional capabilities, including light infrastructure projects.

– Facilitating Data Uptake: Building capacity to enhance the utilization of Earth Observation (EO) data within local ecosystems, including universities,   Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and private sector stakeholders. These efforts will leverage existing national initiatives while emphasizing sustainable development use cases.

– Support for Innovation Ecosystems: Strengthening Kenya’s startup and space innovation ecosystem to drive technological advancements and foster economic growth.

The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) and Expertise France (EF) are jointly working to establish an Earth Observation (EO) data Lab under the auspices of the Multi-Donor Action “Data Governance in Africa.” This initiative is a collaborative effort between the African Union (AU) and the Team Europe Initiative (TEI), jointly financed by the European Union (EU) and five EU member states: Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, and Germany.

The EO data Lab aims to promote access to EO data and build the capacity of space sector stakeholders in Kenya, fostering innovation and value creation by enabling the development of data-driven services and products to address socio-economic challenges and drive sustainable development.
The Expertise France delegation included Mathieu Loubet (Regional Lead), Anthea Manasseh (Deputy Director, AFD), Loran Meme (Project Manager, AFD), and Byron Anangwe (EF Project Liaison). Representing KSA were Jacques Matara (Ag. Deputy Director, Space Research and Innovation), Maj. Kenneth Kanda (Ag. Deputy Director, ICT), and Rachael Olore (Legal Officer).

This partnership underscores the shared commitment of both organizations to harness space innovation and technologies to create transformative impact in Kenya and beyond.