Muthoni Masinde

Kenyan tech pioneer driving digital inclusion through Women in Tech Africa and Africa's first coding school for girls

Muthoni Masinde is a visionary technologist and educator whose initiatives have empowered thousands of African women to become digital leaders. Born in 1985 in Nairobi, Kenya, she faced early challenges as one of few female computer science students at the University of Nairobi. After working in Silicon Valley for tech giants like Google, she returned to Kenya in 2012 to found Women in Tech Africa, an NGO training women in coding, AI, and cybersecurity.

In 2015, she launched FemTech Africa, the continent's first all-girls coding academy offering free training to underprivileged youth. The program has graduated over 3,000 students, with 85% securing tech jobs or starting startups. Muthoni pioneered the African Maker Labs network, creating 25+ community tech hubs equipped with 3D printers and robotics tools. Her 'Code for Change' initiative produced apps addressing local issues like malaria tracking and agricultural optimization.

Her work gained global attention through a 2018 UN Women partnership and a 2020 documentary "Code Sisters: Africa's Tech Revolution". She co-authored 《Tech Sisters: Building Africa's Digital Future》, and founded Africa DevCon, a tech conference attended by 5,000+ developers annually. Muthoni's vision for a digitally inclusive Africa continues to inspire through partnerships like the 2022 UNESCO girls' STEM initiative.