Kenya: Government Opens Public Participation on Its National Artificial Intelligence Policy

Nairobi, nicknamed the 'Silicon Savannah', has for over a decade hosted one of East Africa's most dynamic tech ecosystems, driven by M-Pesa, fintech firms and a dense network of startups. Against this backdrop, the Kenyan government has launched a nationwide public participation exercise on its draft Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy, inviting citizens to help shape it, according to Capital FM (relayed by AllAfrica). The source does not specify which ministry is leading the process, the exact duration of the consultation, or an adoption timeline — points that remain to be clarified. For Kenyan AI startups, investors and citizens, this framework will determine rules on data protection, algorithmic accountability and the country's attractiveness for tech capital, at a time when several African states (Rwanda, South Africa, Nigeria) are also advancing their own strategies. This move fits into a wider continental and global race to regulate AI, between the EU's AI Act and the African Union's still-developing continental strategy. Kenya's choice of a public consultation, rather than a top-down decision, could strengthen the legitimacy of the final text — provided citizen participation goes beyond symbolism and genuinely shapes the policy's content.