Nairobi, Kenya | May 2026

Kenyan health advocate and digital health innovator Ogweno Stephen recently joined a two-day multi-stakeholder dialogue convened by the Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN), bringing together civil society organizations, researchers, youth leaders, public health practitioners, community representatives, and development partners to explore the growing intersection between digitalisation, healthy food policy, and the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Kenya.

The engagement, held on 28th and 29th May 2026, focused on how digital technologies are reshaping food environments, influencing dietary choices, and creating both opportunities and challenges for public health. Participants examined the impact of online marketing of unhealthy foods, particularly among children and young people, while identifying innovative approaches to strengthen community advocacy and nutrition-focused policy action.

Representing Stowelink Foundation and its digital health subsidiary Lifesten Health, Ogweno Stephen delivered a presentation on the role of digital health platforms in improving nutrition literacy, supporting healthier lifestyles, and strengthening community engagement around food systems and NCD prevention.

Exploring the Role of Digital Health in Nutrition

During his presentation, Ogweno highlighted how digital platforms have become increasingly important in shaping health behaviors, especially among young people who spend significant amounts of time online.

Drawing from Stowelink’s experience developing digital health solutions across Africa, he demonstrated how Lifesten Health leverages technology, gamification, behavioral science, and community engagement to encourage healthier lifestyle choices. The platform provides users with practical health education, wellness challenges, personalized learning journeys, and tools that help individuals make informed decisions about nutrition and physical activity.

According to Ogweno, addressing Kenya’s growing burden of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other diet-related conditions requires moving beyond traditional awareness campaigns and embracing innovative digital approaches that meet people where they already are.

“Digital platforms are increasingly shaping how people learn, eat, shop, and make health decisions. If we want healthier communities, we must ensure that accurate nutrition information, positive health messaging, and evidence-based guidance are equally visible and accessible within those same digital spaces,” he noted during the dialogue.

Strengthening Healthy Food Environments

The discussions also explored how digital spaces are influencing food environments across Kenya. With increasing exposure to online advertising and influencer-driven marketing, many young people are encountering aggressive promotion of unhealthy food products.

Participants examined how governments, civil society, communities, and digital innovators can work together to create healthier online environments that support informed dietary choices.

For Ogweno Stephen, this conversation aligns closely with his broader work in public health advocacy, food systems, and non-communicable disease prevention.

Over the past decade, he has championed community-centered and technology-driven approaches to health promotion through initiatives such as NCDs 365, Lifesten Health, and multiple regional health education programs that have collectively reached millions of people across Africa.

Elevating Community Voices in Policy Discussions

A central theme of the KELIN dialogue was the importance of strengthening community voices in healthy food policy development. Participants emphasized that effective policy solutions must reflect the realities, experiences, and priorities of the communities most affected by poor nutrition and diet-related diseases.

The engagement provided an opportunity for stakeholders to share experiences, identify emerging advocacy priorities, and explore collaborative approaches to advancing healthier food environments across Kenya.

Looking Ahead

As Kenya continues to confront rising rates of obesity and other diet-related NCDs, digital health innovation is expected to play an increasingly important role in prevention efforts.

For Ogweno Stephen and Stowelink Foundation, the dialogue reinforced the need for stronger partnerships between public health advocates, policymakers, technology innovators, and communities to ensure digital transformation contributes positively to health outcomes.

Through initiatives such as Lifesten Health and other community-focused programs, Ogweno remains committed to advancing practical, scalable solutions that empower individuals to make healthier choices while strengthening the broader systems that support health and wellbeing.

The KELIN dialogue marked another important step in the ongoing effort to leverage digitalisation, community engagement, and policy advocacy to create healthier food environments and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases in Kenya and across Africa.