PeopleofSuperintelligence

Public voice

Philip Thigo

Philip Thigo is a Kenyan technology and public policy adviser whose work connects civic technology, open government and AI governance. He earned a computer science degree at the University of Nairobi, helped computerize Kenya's election process, worked at Foundation El Taller in Tunis and joined SODNET in 2007. He led data innovation and open-government work at Kenya's Office of the Deputy President, then joined the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Advisory Body on AI in 2023. He received Kenya's Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear in 2023 and Mozilla's RISE25 Award in 2024, and serves as Kenya's Special Envoy on Technology as of October 2026.

Now at
Government of Kenya
Links
Website, X and LinkedIn

Timeline

  1. By 2007

    Computer science and elections

    By 2007, he holds a computer science degree from the University of Nairobi and is part of the team that computerizes Kenya's election process for the first time.

  2. By 2007

    Foundation El Taller in Tunis

    He works for six years at Foundation El Taller's headquarters in Tunis and coordinates its international youth program across ten countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America, before returning to Nairobi in 2007.

  3. 2007

    Joining SODNET

    In 2007, he joins the Social Development Network (SODNET) as Program Associate for Strategy and Partnerships.

  4. 2018

    Data innovation in government

    By 2018, he has co-founded the INFONET Innovation Program at SODNET, which helps NGOs adopt new technology. In 2018, he leads Data & Innovation at the Office of the Deputy President and serves as Kenya's point of contact for the Open Government Partnership. He has advised Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture on data for the Joint Agriculture Mechanism, the Big Four Food and Nutrition Security Presidential Priority and the Agriculture Transformation and Growth Strategy.

  5. 2023

    The UN AI Advisory Body

    In 2023, the UN Secretary-General appoints him to the High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence. The Body is tasked with building scientific consensus on AI risks, helping harness AI for the Sustainable Development Goals and strengthening international cooperation on AI governance.

  6. 2023

    The Moran of the Burning Spear

    In 2023, he receives Kenya's Presidential Commendation, the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear.

  7. 2024

    Mozilla RISE25 and Thunderbird

    In August 2024, he receives Mozilla's RISE25 Award as one of the 25 honorees. He serves as Executive Director for Africa at Thunderbird School of Global Management.

  8. As of October 2026

    Special Envoy on Technology

    In June 2025, he represents Kenya as Presidential Special Envoy on Technology at UNESCO's Tech Diplomacy Forum in Paris. In January 2026, he becomes WIPO GREEN Ambassador for Kenya. As of October 2026, he serves as Kenya's Special Envoy on Technology in the Office of the President.

Career

  1. Since 2024Government of KenyaTechnical Lead for Open Government
  2. From 2023United NationsMember
  3. Arizona State UniversityExecutive Director for Africa

From the biography.

  1. Through 2025, first appointments to public AI advisory and safety bodies peaked in 2023Includes Philip Thigo. We estimate when the people shaping AI entered public advisory and safety bodies, which institutions connect them, and where they worked beforehand. Through 2025, first recorded appointments peaked in 2023 at 42 people.
  2. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Arizona State University. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  3. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes United Nations. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  4. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes United Nations. We estimate that Google holds the highest combined h-index at 8,016, while universities account for 73% of the deduplicated total across AI organizations.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Philip Thigo yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. 2012 | Academy of Achievement achievement.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  2. UNWDF 2018 Media unstats.un.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  3. Rise25 - 2024 Honorees - Meet the Advocates rise25.mozilla.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  4. UN Secretary-General launches AI Advisory Body on risks, opportunities, and international governance of artificial intelligence india.un.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  5. Philip Thigo among three Kenyans honoured at Mozilla's Rise25 Awards citizen.digital. Checked 22 October 2026.
  6. Kenya at the Forefront of Global Tech Diplomacy kenya-delegation-unesco.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  7. WIPO GREEN Welcomes Mr. Philip Thigo as WIPO GREEN Ambassador for Kenya www3.wipo.int. Checked 22 October 2026.
  8. Session 282— The Next Byte – Shaping Human-Centred Internet Governance | WSIS Forum 2026 itu.int. Checked 22 October 2026.