Kenya to Hold First Ever Drone Expo in Konza City from May 29

Kenya will hold its first ever Drone Tech and Data Expo where more than 100 certified drone technology experts and enthusiasts are expected to take part, from May 29 to June 4 2022.

Teams of authorised drone manufacturers and operators will have an opportunity to showcase their drone equipment and test their drones capability to deliver medicine, at Konza City in Machakos County.

The event, organised by Drone Space Kenya in conjunction with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA), will see participants explore multiple concepts of drone operation and data exchange, across a 24-kilometre flight zone in Konza.

The expo will kick off with a two-day conference at the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on May 30 and 31, followed by the Last Mile Medical Delivery exercise which will be held at the Konza Smart City Drone Corridor from June 1-4 2022.

“The lack of proper infrastructure and public transportation systems poses immense challenges to development in Kenya and Africa at large. Drones have proven efficient and more cost effective in leapfrogging the physical connectivity gap in Kenya,” said Tony Mwangi, CEO of Drone Space Kenya.

Participants in the expo will be validated on various aspects including speed, flight accuracy, safety and uniqueness of drone designs.

“The event is an opportunity to share knowledge on the role drones can play in Kenya. As a country, we do not want to be left behind and the Ministry of Innovation & ICT is keen to deploy these technologies for the benefit of all Kenyans.” said Jerome Ochieng, Principal Secretary Ministry of ICT & Innovation. 

More than 350 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) pilots have been issued remote pilot licences after receiving drone operation training from KCAA-approved institutions.

Commercial use of drones has been steadily increasing across the sectors of film, agriculture, surveillance, mapping and data collection fields since the lift of their ban temporarily in Kenya.