Stephen Chege
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Articles by Stephen Chege
A Beginner's Roadmap
Python has become the world's go-to language for machine learning - and for good reason. It's simple, versatile, and backed by a rich ecosystem of libraries. But beyond powering chatbots, recommendation engines, and fraud detection, Python is also unlocking insights from a less-talked-about yet booming field: geospatial analysis. Think about it - every ride-hailing app, drone flight, crop health forecast, or climate change model relies on data tied to location.
How I Moved From Maps to Machine Learning (With Python)
How I Moved From Maps to Machine Learning (With Python) For years, geospatial analysts have relied on Python to automate spatial tasks, process satellite imagery, and build dashboards. But now, with machine learning, we can go further: detect patterns, predict change, and build smarter geospatial applications — from flood forecasting to land use classification. This evolution isn’t just for PhDs or data scientists. If you already use Python for GIS, you’re closer to ML than you think.
How to Go From Cartography to Machine Learning With Python
A Guide to Turning Spatial Thinking Into Predictive Modeling With Python What used to be an art form rooted in pens, paper, and symbology is now shaped by algorithms, satellite data, and Python code. In today’s data-driven world, maps are no longer just tools for navigation — they’re predictive engines for understanding everything from climate risk to urban expansion.
Google Earth Engine Meets Python APIs: Foundations of Geospatial Science
A Beginner’s Guide to Scalable Earth Observation Using Python and GEE Have you ever wished you could solve Earth’s riddles with your computer? From Google Earth Engine (GEE), envision this, an immense digital repository brimming with petabytes of environmental information and satellite imagery, awaiting intrepid explorers such as yourself to explore and uncover the splendours of our world.
Uncovering the Python GPS Dashboard Behind Self-Driving Tech
How GPSd and Python are quietly shaping real-time navigation in self-driving systems Autonomous navigation often conjures images of LiDAR sensors, deep learning models, and futuristic vehicles weaving through traffic. But behind the flashier technologies lies something fundamental and often overlooked: real-time GPS tracking. Whether it’s a delivery drone, a self-driving rover, or a prototype AV on a test track, precise location data is non-negotiable.
The Python Geospatial Tool That’s Becoming a Data Science Powerhouse
The Backbone of Geospatial Python Workflows — And It’s Just Getting Started In a world obsessed with dashboards, APIs, and AI hype, the quiet tools rarely get the spotlight. Yet beneath every clean map, logistics model, and location-powered app is a hidden layer of infrastructure. Not just servers or pipelines — but Python libraries that do the heavy lifting no one talks about. One of this tool is Fiona.
Become a GIS Data Scientist This Weekend: 4 Online Courses That Will Fast-Track Your Skills
Tierra Insights is a Medium publication dedicated to exploring the intersection of data science, GIS, AI, and machine learning. Our mission is to provide insightful, actionable content for professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts. Follow publication Master Geospatial Analysis, Python, and Remote Sensing with These Beginner-Friendly Online Courses Want to break into geospatial data science without spending months or thousands on a degree?
Landing a Satellite Analyst Role at Top Tech Companies: Skills & Stacks You Need
Your Guide to the Tools, Skills, and Technologies That Top Firms Expect in Modern Geospatial Roles In the past, satellite data analysis was the domain of governments and specialized research labs. Today, tech unicorns are redefining that space — building platforms that turn raw Earth observation data into real-time, AI-driven insights for everything from climate monitoring to defense intelligence.
7 Startups Using AI in Maps, Satellites, and Location Tech
7 Startups Using AI in Maps, Satellites, and Location Tech In the rapidly evolving world of geospatial technology, a new wave of startups is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with artificial intelligence. From processing petabytes of satellite data to generating real-time 3D urban twins, these companies are revolutionizing industries such as agriculture, insurance, renewable energy, and logistics.
June Jumpstart: 4 Python Geospatial Projects You Can Launch This Month
Build real-world GIS skills this June with hands-on Python projects in mapping, remote sensing, and urban analysis It is June, let me say this again, it is June, 2025! Goodness, this means that almost half of the year is gone. But do not worry, as there is still time as it’s a new month, June is the perfect month to reset, refocus, and build something new.
7 Reasons the Model Context Protocol Is the Future of Geospatial AI
How the Model Context Protocol is reshaping spatial AI systems with memory, adaptability, and multi-modal intelligence. This is a best time to be alive, as AI has come of age and we, As geospatial AI systems evolve — powering everything from real-time flood detection to urban growth modeling — one thing has become clear: the future isn’t just about smarter models, but smarter context. Most AI pipelines today treat context as an afterthought.
4 Python Libraries Set to Shape Geospatial Data Science in 2025
Tierra Insights is a Medium publication dedicated to exploring the intersection of data science, GIS, AI, and machine learning. Our mission is to provide insightful, actionable content for professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts. Follow publication The geospatial world is shifting — fast. The age of data driven decision making is here you can now extract information and discover meaningful insights.
What’s Coming for Geospatial Dashboards: 6 Trends to Watch
How AI, real-time data, and privacy-first design are reshaping the future of spatial decision-making tools Dashboards are here to stay, as they become more advance and affect all aspect of our lives in order to extract data, In the last decade, geospatial dashboards have gone from niche GIS tools to mission-critical platforms used across sectors — from humanitarian response to financial risk analysis. The beauty about it is that you do not have to be an expert. But the evolution is far from over.
The power of the private sector in advancing an inclusive society
Inclusion is a critical pillar to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 10 of reducing inequalities. Without inclusion, we risk deepening existing disparities and limiting socio-economic progress. The private sector is well-positioned to champion inclusion by ensuring that opportunities are accessible to all and fostering environments where diversity thrives. At Vodacom, empowering people is a core pillar of our purpose to connect everyone to a better future.
6 Ways To Integrate Python With QGIS For Spatial Analysis
Unleashing the Full Power of Open-Source GIS I rarely talk about this topic, but that is about to change. Let’s talk about the most effective open-source mapping platform used by urban planners, environmental scientists, data journalists, NGOs, and government agencies worldwide — QGIS, which is a very popular GIS tool. In a world increasingly driven by location data, spatial analysis has become essential for everything from climate modeling to urban planning to monitoring humanitarian crises.
The Vodacom way: integrating human rights into strategy
At the same time, PWC’s Global Investor Survey for 2024 shows that 71% of investors agree that companies should incorporate environmental, social and governance directly into their corporate strategy, many aspects of which are human rights topics. Understanding the business imperative to address human rights, Vodacom Group has strengthened its approach to human rights.
Boost Your GIS Data Science Career: 8 Python Skills to Master
In order to be a GIS Data scientist, you must master python, here are 8 simple ways to do exactly that. Stephen Chege · Follow Published in Tierra Insights · 8 min read · -- Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash 2025 is here (at least the second month) and its your desire to fully become a python expert as a GIS data scientist, but you do not know what or where to start.
9 Reasons GIS is a Critical Part of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Stephen Chege · Follow Published in Spatial Data Science · 4 min read · -- Let us look at why geospatial technology and STEM go hand in hand. Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash Over the last ten years, STEM has grown at an absolutely incredible rate. STEM has produced ground-breaking inventions, stimulated economic expansion, expanded scientific study, and influenced the direction of sectors ranging from environmental sustainability to artificial intelligence.
8 Reasons Geospatial Analysis is the Perfect Fusion of Science, Art, and Math
Member-only story Stephen Chege · Follow Published in Tierra Insights · 6 min read · -- Geospatial analysis is the bridge between knowledge and action, helping us navigate an increasingly complex world Is it an art! is it a science or a math? That is the question many geospatial practitioners have a tough time debating. Where does GIS stand, what is it?
Land Rights in Kenya: The Role of Law in Protection against Forced Evictions
The land question in Kenya from the colonial to the post-colonial periods has direct implications to the prevalence of forced evictions affecting individuals and communities. Land laws and policies enacted during the stated periods contributed largely to the problem of forced evictions. The independence Constitution also did not address the problem. The promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 (the Constitution) however laid the basis forprotection against forced evictions.
How to Utilize Random Forest for Geospatial Precision Agriculture, Step-by-Step Guide
Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium. Create by author Following up on my previous topic on 4 algorithms for precision agriculture, I want to narrow it down and focus on how to utilize random forest algorithm for precision agriculture, this topic is timely as random forest seems to be the most ideal algorithm for precision agriculture. Random Forest offers actionable insights that can transform agricultural practices.
3 Top Spatial Machine Learning Algorithms for Precision Agriculture
Last Updated on December 14, 2024 by Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium. Precision agriculture leverages cutting-edge machine learning algorithms to transform farming, boosting productivity and sustainability. From Random Forest for crop classification to CNNs for high-resolution imagery analysis, these tools optimize resources, detect diseases early, and improve yield prediction.
3 Top Spatial Machine Learning Algorithms for Precision Agriculture
Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium. Precision agriculture leverages cutting-edge machine learning algorithms to transform farming, boosting productivity and sustainability. From Random Forest for crop classification to CNNs for high-resolution imagery analysis, these tools optimize resources, detect diseases early, and improve yield prediction.
3 Top Spatial Machine Learning Algorithms for Precision Agriculture
Last Updated on December 16, 2024 by Originally published on Towards AI. This member-only story is on us. Upgrade to access all of Medium. Precision agriculture leverages cutting-edge machine learning algorithms to transform farming, boosting productivity and sustainability. From Random Forest for crop classification to CNNs for high-resolution imagery analysis, these tools optimize resources, detect diseases early, and improve yield prediction.
From Cash-Flush to Collapse: 8 Reasons Startups Fail with VC Funding in Hand
Stephen Chege · Follow Published in ILLUMINATION · 6 min read · -- Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/yelling-formal-man-watching-news-on-laptop-3760778/ If you have been following the business news lately especially regarding startups you probably aware that the past few years have been turbulent as many startups are shutting their doors despite raising millions of dollars from venture capitalist. How is this even possible, one may ask?
6 Ways to Get Started With R for Spatial Machine Learning Analysis
Stephen Chege · Follow 5 min read · -- R is a potent machine learning program whose features flow naturally into the study of geographical data, opening up new avenues for research in disciplines like agriculture, urban planning, and environmental science. The advantages of R’s machine learning libraries, such caret, mlr3, and randomForest, and how they expedite processes from data preprocessing to model evaluation, have been covered in earlier articles.
Will AI Make Humans More Empathetic?
As humans get darker and darker with every generation is AI the hope we need? With all the talk about AI being the end of humanity and all, can AI save humanity by learning the very virtue that will save us from self-distraction which is empathy? Artificial intelligence (AI) may alter human empathy, but rather than replacing it, it may be a helpful tool to increase it which in the long run will benefit the world, a greater good.
How To Master Python as a Dyslexic: 10 Key Resources To Get You Started
“If anyone ever puts you down for having dyslexia, don’t believe them. Being dyslexic can be a big advantage, and it has certainly helped me.” Richard Branson I had to train myself to focus my attention. I became very visual and learned how to create mental images to comprehend what I read.” Tom Cruise If you keep confusing there, their or they are, you do not know the difference between your right hand and left hand.
GIS Data Scientist job loss, Career growth after job loss, Resilience in GIS careers, Less,,GIS career tipsons from losing a job,
Losing a job, nothing breaks you and makes you question your existence when you get fired, retrenched, or laid off. In this article, I will share my experience of how I lost my job as a newly transitioned GIS data scientist, what I learnt and how I recovered. “Come to the board room office”, read a Google chat email from the HR manager, I was in the process of clearing my laptop, deleting or backing up my documents as the writings were on the wall.
Statistics, GIS, Geostatistics, Spatial Data Science, Spatial interpolation, Kriging, R, Python. Data science, Predictive modelling, Variogram.
For almost 3 years now, I have been reading, researching and writing on geospatial topics with a focus on data science, artificial intelligence, career transition and machine learning with an emphasis on how it affects spatial analysis which has been a joy for me and I will keep doing this for a while. I have made it my mission to try and stay up to date with all the developments regarding the geospatial sector even if it gets daunting, because it is what I love to do, at least for now.
Unpacking and Utilizing Vertex with Google Earth Engine for Machine Learning.
Google Earth Engine for machine learning has just gotten a new face lift, with all the advancement that has been going on in the world of Artificial intelligence, Google Earth Engine was not going to be left behind as it is an important tool for spatial analysis.
The e-Waste Challenge: A Call for Collaborative Circular Solutions
Technology has become an indispensable tool for businesses and individuals, from smartphones and tablets to servers and data centers. Digitalization and the use of connected devices are only expected to grow as technology rapidly evolves to offer even more capabilities, as well as provide solutions to global challenges, such as climate change resilience and sustainable socioeconomic development.
The e-waste challenge: A call for collaborative circular solutions
Technology has become an indispensable tool for businesses and individuals, from smartphones and tablets to servers and data centers. Digitalization and the use of connected devices are only expected to grow as technology rapidly evolves to offer even more capabilities, as well as provide solutions to global challenges, such as climate change resilience and sustainable socioeconomic development.
The e-waste challenge: A call for collaborative circular solutions
Read time: 3 minutes Technology has become an indispensable tool for businesses and individuals, from smartphones and tablets to servers and data centres. Digitalisation and the use of connected devices are only expected to grow as technology rapidly evolves to offer even more capabilities, as well as provide solutions to global challenges, such as climate change resilience and sustainable socioeconomic development.
Mobile Money Taxation Could Hamper Financial Inclusion Gains in Africa
In an increasingly digital economy, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been greater collaboration between the private sector and governments in Africa to further the continent’s digital and financial inclusion agenda. Financial inclusion, in particular, is both a pre-condition and a key enabler for meeting many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including reducing poverty, boosting economic growth and promoting market access.
Education, wages, financial aid - how Covid made mobile phones a humanitarian lifeline
A mobile phone store | Representational image | Seong Joon Cho | Bloomberg Text Size: As the COVID-19 pandemic strikes poor and vulnerable people all over the world, mobile phones have become a lifeline for many. They allow wages, vouchers and humanitarian assistance to be transferred safely and efficiently. They also deliver public health information and connect people with healthcare providers.
CHEGE: The writing is on the wall: Protect wetlands or we all
In Summary The importance of protecting our wetlands and rehabilitating those that have been lost cannot be gainsaid. Wetlands are critical to the regulation of climate by storing carbon, preventing its release into the atmosphere, reducing flooding and erosion by intercepting surface runoff, and maintaining aquifers.
CHEGE: Why corporate world should focus beyond the bottom line
All companies want to stand the test of time. They want to exist, operate and thrive, well into the future and remain relevant for successive generations. Indeed, firms’ longevity preoccupies minds of corporate leaders, and keeps them awake at night. In order to effectively safeguard their future, it is prudent for businesses to take a keen interest in the future of their environment and the societies that they operate in. Without this, they will not be in operation for long.
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