Hack4Freedom Nairobi 2026 Kicks Off as Women Developers Begin Bitcoin and Freedom Tech Bootcamp
Women software developers gathered in Nairobi last week for the opening of Hack4Freedom Nairobi 2026. A two-week Bitcoin and freedom-technology bootcamp and hackathon hosted with Dada Devs.
Day 1, held on 22 September at Node NBO in Gigiri, focused on connection, workshops and a clear message: Africa already has the talent. What it has lacked is a room where women can build.
The Nairobi edition runs from 22 September to 5 October 2026. Participants will study Bitcoin, Lightning, open-source development. And related freedom-tech tools, then work toward open-source prototypes for a closing hackathon.
No prior Bitcoin experience is required, but organizers asked for a technical background and interest in software, design, product or open-source contribution.
What happened on Day 1
Hack4Freedom founder Brianna Honkawa d’Estries opened the program by explaining why the work matters and why more opportunities for women builders are needed in Bitcoin and open-source technology.
Dada Devs founder Lorraine Marcel then challenged the room to stop seeing African women mainly as users of technology. “Build from Africa,” she told participants. Africa does not only need more people using technology, she said. It needs more people building it.
Marcel urged the developers to explore open-source protocols including Bitcoin, Lightning, Nostr and eCash. And to treat themselves as builders who can shape what comes next, not only as participants in someone else’s ecosystem.
Later sessions mixed product-building stories with community and mindset work:
- Sabina Gitau and Jason from Tando spoke about building, taking risks and leaving a comfort zone.
- Sharon Murugi of Btrust spoke on building in public, arguing that sharing unfinished work can create visibility, connections and opportunity.
- Hanunah who works with a community supporting women refugees through the Groundswell Project, spoke about collaboration and the value of women opening doors for one another.
- Sekinah Ibrahim closed the day with a session on commitment and “proof of work,” framing it as a mindset of showing up, learning and shipping even when results are not immediate.
Dada Devs said the turnout, energy and talent on Day 1 made one point clear: skills are not the missing piece. Access to the room is.
Who is behind the Nairobi edition?
Hack4Freedom trains women developers in the Global South to build open-source freedom software. The 2026 series is organized by Evento and is women-only, hybrid and free to attend. The program has also run or is planned in cities including Lagos, São Paulo, Port Harcourt and Belo Horizonte.
The Nairobi stop is hosted in collaboration with Dada Devs, which describes itself as home to Africa’s first generation of female Bitcoin developers.
Dada Devs trains African women engineers to work on Bitcoin, Lightning and open-source contribution rather than only on user-facing education.
Sponsors and partners named for the Nairobi edition include Btrust, Evento, Soapbox and Node NBO. Node NBO, a Gigiri campus focused on energy, AI compute and freedom tech, hosted the kickoff.
Hack4Freedom says women remain sharply underrepresented among open-source contributors worldwide. Even as women make up a large share of people excluded from formal finance.
The Nairobi program is meant to widen that pipeline in Kenya and connect local builders to a growing international network.
What participants will do next?
The format is a two-week hybrid program: an in-person kickoff and workshops, then building and mentorship, ending with a demo day.
Teams are expected to ship open-source prototypes using Bitcoin, Lightning, Nostr and eCash. Top projects compete for a prize pool listed by organizers at about $5,000, with further mentorship and introductions to grants or jobs.
Btrust’s Murugi said the final day is set for 4 October and that the more important test is whether the projects and the builders continue after the event ends.
Hack4Freedom and Dada Devs both framed Day 1 as the start of that work, not the finish. The room is now open. The next two weeks will show what the participants build in it.