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Universal Acceptance Day Awareness Event 2026: A Successful First Edition for KeNIC
May 13 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Wednesday, 13 May 2026 | USIU-Africa, Nairobi
We successfully hosted the inaugural Universal Acceptance (UA) Day 2026, bringing together students, technologists, policymakers, and international partners to advance the conversation on an inclusive, multilingual internet for all.
The event was made possible through a $3,000 sponsorship from ICANN and generous in-kind support from USIU-Africa, which provided the venue, faculty participation, and access to its student community.
Strong Turnout and Engagement
The inaugural UA Day drew substantial interest from across Kenya’s academic and technology ecosystems:
- Over 560 unique registrations, with a further ~56 duplicate sign-ups reflecting strong demand
- 300 live participants — 120 on-site at USIU-Africa and 180 joining virtually
- Students from 17 different institutions, in addition to the host institution’s own delegates
- 222 YouTube views recorded in the days following the event, extending its reach well beyond the live sessions
Distinguished Speakers and Partners
UA Day 2026 featured presentations from KeNIC, ICANN, UNESCO, KICTANET, and the host institution, USIU-Africa:
- Andrew Lewela, CEO, KeNIC
- Bob Ochieng, Senior Director, ICANN
- June Okal, ICANN
- Jay Ralitera, UNESCO, supported by Sylvia Adongo
- Neema Mujasia, KICTANET
- Prof. Patrick Wamuyu, USIU-Africa
- Emmanuel Mutinda, Cyber-Security Analyst, KeNIC
- Brian Anikayi, System Administrator, KeNIC
Their presentations set the tone for a day of rich discussion on Universal Acceptance, internet governance, and building a secure, accessible, and reliable .KE internet ecosystem.
National Media Reach
The event received extensive coverage across 10 prominent Kenyan media platforms, spanning radio, television, and print — including Classic FM, Kiss FM, East FM, Radio Jambo, Homeboyz Radio, NTV Kenya, KTN News, TV47, The Star, and Daily Nation. This broadcast reach, combined with strong engagement on LinkedIn (+22.5% impressions, +20.3% reactions) and YouTube, carried the conversation on Universal Acceptance far beyond the venue and the live audience.
KeNIC extends its sincere thanks to ICANN, UNESCO, KICTANET, and USIU-Africa for their partnership and support in making the inaugural Universal Acceptance Day a resounding success — and looks forward to building on this momentum with UA Day 2027.
#UADay #UniversalAcceptance #Internet4All #DigitalInclusion