Python OpenAI SDK base_url override

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or later.
• The openai Python package (v1.x or later).
• A Fikra API key (fk_live_...) generated from the Fikra dashboard.
• Access to the Fikra API base URL: https://api.fikraapi.co.ke/v1.

Environment Variable Setup

Store your API key in an environment variable to avoid hardcoding secrets. For example, in your shell or .env file:

export FIKRA_API_KEY="fk_live_your_key_here"

Basic Integration Example

The Fikra API is OpenAI-compatible for chat-completions requests. You can use the standard openai Python SDK by overriding the base_url.

import os
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key=os.environ["FIKRA_API_KEY"],
    base_url="https://api.fikraapi.co.ke/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="fikra-flash",
    messages=[
        {"role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful assistant."},
        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Fikra!"}
    ]
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

Streaming Guidance

Fikra supports streaming via Server-Sent Events (SSE) when stream: true is set. The OpenAI SDK handles SSE parsing automatically.

import os
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key=os.environ["FIKRA_API_KEY"],
    base_url="https://api.fikraapi.co.ke/v1"
)

stream = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="fikra-flash",
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Explain quantum computing in one sentence."}
    ],
    stream=True
)

for chunk in stream:
    if chunk.choices and chunk.choices[0].delta.content:
        print(chunk.choices[0].delta.content, end="", flush=True)

Common Errors

• 400 Bad Request: Malformed JSON, missing required fields, or invalid model alias. Verify that the model name matches a current Fikra alias (e.g., fikra-flash).
• 401 Unauthorized: Missing or invalid Authorization: Bearer header. Ensure FIKRA_API_KEY is set correctly and the key is active.
• 402 Payment Required: Insufficient token credits in your Fikra wallet. Top up via the Fikra dashboard using Paystack (M-Pesa or cards accepted).
• 429 Too Many Requests: Rate limit exceeded. Unverified accounts are limited to 30 RPM; trusted accounts to 100 RPM. Implement exponential backoff.
• 503 Service Unavailable: Temporary server-side issue. Retry with backoff. Check the Fikra dashboard for service status if the issue persists.

Production Checklist

• [ ] Use environment variables for FIKRA_API_KEY; never hardcode keys.
• [ ] Set base_url to https://api.fikraapi.co.ke/v1 explicitly.
• [ ] Validate model aliases against the current Fikra model registry before deployment.
• [ ] Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for 429 and 503 errors.
• [ ] Monitor token credit usage via the Fikra dashboard to avoid 402 errors.
• [ ] Test streaming behavior in staging before enabling in production.
• [ ] Log request IDs (if provided in responses) for support troubleshooting.