For two days, Nairobi became a meeting point for some of Africa’s leading voices in fact-checking and information integrity. On the 21st and 22nd of October 2026, journalists, researchers, technologists, policymakers and civil society representatives from 30 countries gathered for the fifth Africa Facts Summit.
Under the theme “Information Integrity in an Ever-Evolving Landscape: AI, Agency, and Influence in Africa,” the summit showed how rapidly the challenges facing journalism have changed. Artificial intelligence is making it easier to produce convincing false content, while deepfakes, voice cloning, online scams and coordinated influence campaigns increasingly cross national and linguistic borders.
The programme combined broad debates with practical sessions. Participants examined platform accountability in African languages, foreign information manipulation, gendered disinformation and the potentially deadly consequences of false information about health, science and the environment. Workshops demonstrated how open-source intelligence, social listening, data analysis and no-code AI tools can support investigations and verification.
One of the strongest conclusions from the summit was that technology alone cannot protect the information space. Effective responses require cooperation between journalists, fact-checkers, researchers, legal experts, technology specialists and civil society. Participants repeatedly highlighted the importance of solutions designed for African realities, including the continent’s linguistic diversity, limited newsroom resources and different political environments.
The summit also looked beyond individual fact-checks. Discussions addressed the financial sustainability of independent newsrooms, public trust and the need to turn isolated verification projects into stronger cross-border networks. Organised by Africa Check in collaboration with the Africa Facts Network and KAS Media Africa, the gathering strengthened connections between organisations working across countries, languages and professional disciplines.
About this series
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.
"In der menschlichen Nähe liegt die größte Stärke des Lokaljournalismus"
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