Spotlight on Africa’s role in building the world’s free encyclopedia as Wikimania 2025 opens in Nairobi
The event will run for several days, featuring interactive workshops, panel discussions, edit-a-thons, and cultural showcases
Hundreds of Wikipedia contributors, digital knowledge lovers, and free information advocates from across the world gather for Wikimania 2025, the first time the global Wikimedia conference is being held in East Africa.
Opening the event, Bobby Shabagu, President of the Wikimedia Foundation South Africa, reminded attendees of the heart behind Wikipedia, neutrality, accuracy, and community.
“Wikipedia isn’t about opinion. It’s about truth backed by reliable sources,” he said. “What makes it special is that it’s written by volunteers from all corners of the world, committed to presenting information fairly and without bias.”
He noted that Wikipedia has systems in place powered by dedicated volunteers and smart bots to ensure the platform stays clean, accurate, and trustworthy.
“Every change you see on an article, every discussion, every source, it’s all public. Transparency is key to how Wikipedia works,” Shabagu added. “And while the Wikimedia Foundation offers support through its Trust and Safety team in rare cases, it’s the volunteers who are the real heroes.”
Kenya’s representative in the Wikimedia movement, Carol Maina, shared how the country is making great strides in making Wikipedia more reflective of local voices.
“We’ve teamed up with Pwani University to translate Wikipedia articles into Kiswahili, and we’re already seeing amazing content popping up in Kikuyu and Luo,” she said. “But this is just the beginning. We’re inviting more Kenyans to join us in translating, writing, and sharing stories, so that our culture, our heroes, and our knowledge are documented for the world.”
Ms Maina’s call to action resonated with many in the room, especially young people eager to contribute to Kenya’s digital footprint on the world’s largest encyclopedia.
Wikimania 2025 will run for several days, featuring interactive workshops, panel discussions, edit-a-thons, and cultural showcases. It’s more than a conference, it’s a celebration of what people can build together when they share a mission of free, open knowledge.
As the sun sets over Nairobi, it’s clear that the future of Wikipedia is increasingly multilingual, African, and proudly community-driven.
