Juliana Rotich

Who is Juliana Rotich?

Juliana Rotich is an information technology professional who has developed web tools for crowdsourcing crisis information and coverage of topics related to the environment. She is the Executive Director for Ushahidi, an opensource software project which uses crowdsourced geolocation, mobile phone, and web reporting data to provide crisis reporting and information. "Ushahidi" is the Swahili word for "testimony." Ushahidi was first put into practice during the Kenyan presidential election crisis of 2007-8; it has since been used in Chile, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Haiti.

Juliana Rotich is originally from Kenya. She has a degree in information technology from the University of Missouri, and has worked in the IT industry for over ten years. As a blogger, she has authored articles on Afrigadget.com, acted as Environmental Editor of Global Voices Online, and participated in the TED Global conference in Arusha in 2007. As a public speaker, she is known for her commentary on technology in Africa and voicing concerns about the loss of indigenous forest and water catchment areas in Kenya. She is a Senior TED Fellow.