Kenya aims to establish itself as Africa’s leading hub for artificial intelligence (AI) by leveraging the technology to spur growth across vital sectors such as agriculture, security, healthcare, education, and public service delivery. The new AI Strategy for 2025-2030 was recently launched by William Kabogo, the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy.
This comprehensive Strategy focuses on modernizing Kenya’s digital infrastructure and creating a sustainable data ecosystem to promote the adoption of AI. It emphasizes the need for ethical and responsible use of AI to combat misinformation and disinformation while driving socio-economic development.
The Strategy is structured around three primary pillars:
- AI Digital Infrastructure: This pillar highlights the necessity of building a strong, accessible, and affordable digital system to support AI growth, advocating for the modernization of the national digital framework.
Data and AI Governance: This aspect focuses on creating a secure data ecosystem for AI innovation, addressing concerns regarding data misuse and unauthorized access.
- AI Research and Innovation: This pillar aims to position Kenya as a global leader in AI development, fostering the creation of sophisticated, locally designed AI solutions through enhanced research, innovation, and commercialization efforts.
Kenya is already making significant progress with investments in the National Fibre Optic Backbone, providing free public Wi-Fi and ensuring affordable internet access, especially in underserved regions. The Strategy outlines the need to enhance internet services to better support AI applications and data management.
Acknowledging the importance of data in AI deployment, the Strategy aims to strengthen governance frameworks to safeguard against potential misuse. It emphasizes legal and regulatory measures to ensure ethical AI implementation and enhance public accountability.
The Strategy also focuses on building a skilled AI workforce through educational initiatives that promote AI literacy, integrate AI into school curricula, and develop talent capable of advancing AI research and innovation.
As Kenya embarks on this ambitious journey to become a regional technology leader, Mr. Kabogo stated that the AI Strategy will bolster the nation’s competitiveness in the global digital economy. “Kenya’s AI future is now. It is our collective responsibility—government, private sector, academia, and civil society—to turn this vision into reality,” he asserted.
With clear objectives and actionable steps outlined in the Strategy, Kenya is poised to transform its digital landscape and drive innovation across various sectors, establishing itself as a pivotal player in the rising digital economy. Eng. John Tanui, the Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy noted that multiple initiatives are already underway to support the effective implementation of this Strategy, including an approved Cloud policy that will facilitate access to AI tools and attract global investment in data centers.
