After playing a key role in promoting Kigali as a major hub for technology and innovation in Africa, Rwandan tech professional Pascal Murasira is turning his attention to a new frontier: food security. Murasira, the first Managing Director of Norrsken East Africa Kigali, recently joined the Africa Food Fellowship (AFF) as its Executive Director, marking a shift from the startup ecosystem to food systems. ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s digital hub project could boost tech startups The Africa Food Fellowship is a pan-African network of leaders working to drive transformative change in food systems. The fellowship provides training, platforms, and networks that support collaborative action toward healthy, inclusive, and sustainable food systems across the continent. With a background in mentoring startups and building innovation hubs, Murasira brings a strong understanding of technology to his new role. However, he is quick to caution that technology alone cannot solve complex challenges. “Technology is not a magic bullet,” he says. “It only works when you have the right people, leadership, and policies in place.” He says Africa’s food systems will be transformed by leaders who can translate ideas, policies, and investments into practical solutions. He sees this leadership gap as one of the barriers to progress, and he wants to play a role in addressing it. At the Africa Food Fellowship, Murasira says one of the organisation’s key roles is supporting governments at national, regional, and continental levels to fulfil their food security commitments. A major focus is the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), an African Union-backed framework guiding agri-food system transformation between 2026 and 2035. CAADP calls for coordinated action, increased investment, and innovation to build sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems. Its objectives include economic diversification, job creation, improved access to healthy diets, higher incomes, and stronger social cohesion; outcomes that also contribute to long-term peace and stability. “When we talk about food, we’re not just talking about primary production,” he said. “Food systems include farmers, cooperatives, logistics providers, retailers, restaurants, banks, policymakers...” He argues that meaningful innovation in Africa cannot ignore food systems, given their central role in people’s lives and the broader economy. ALSO READ: How co-renting is unlocking affordable entrepreneurship in Kigali “If 50 per cent of African households are spending most of their income on food, even a small increase in food prices affects everything else: healthcare, housing, education, and other services,” he explained. “On the other hand, stable and affordable food prices can unlock investment across the economy.” Murasira says what excites him most is AFF’s position at the intersection of vision and action. “The Fellowship operates in the ‘missing middle’—where policies are interpreted and implemented, and where real change happens,” he said. “By supporting the leaders who operate in that space, we can finally bridge the gap between ambition and impact.” Reflecting on his time at Norrsken, Murasira says his proudest achievement was helping position Kigali as a key player in Africa’s tech landscape. “We were not only building a campus,” he told The New Times. “We were building a team, an infrastructure, and most importantly a culture of entrepreneurship.” That culture, he explained, was something people could feel when they walked into the building or interacted with members of the community.
