Kenyan innovator to be feted in Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A Kenyan social entrepreneur is set to be feted today by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Juliana Rotich, 42, an IT pioneer in Kenya, will receive this year’s German Africa Award for her work in digital revolution in Africa.

The award will be given during a ceremony at the Allianz Forum next to the Brandenburg Gate, Germany.

Rotich is the co-founder of Ushahidi, an open source platform which has revolutionised worldwide flow of information. Through the platform, witnesses can upload events and incidents that help locate them chronologically and geographically on a map.

These real time maps are now used in more than 160 countries, for example in times of crisis and natural disaster or for election monitoring. Rotich is also the co-founder of technology company BRCK, the largest public WIFI provider in sub-Saharan Africa.