Kenya: Government opens public consultation on its future national Artificial Intelligence policy

Nairobi, dubbed "Silicon Savannah", has been home for over a decade to one of East Africa's most active tech ecosystems, driven by M-Pesa, fintechs, and a dense network of startups. It is against this backdrop that the Kenyan government is launching a national public consultation on its draft policy on Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies, inviting citizens to contribute to its development, according to Capital FM (relayed by AllAfrica). The source does not specify the name of the sponsoring ministry, the exact duration of the consultation, or an adoption timeline—points that remain to be clarified. For AI startups, investors, and Kenyan citizens, this framework will determine the 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 is part of a continental and global race to regulate AI, between the European AI Act and the African Union's still-gestating continental strategy. Kenya's choice of public consultation, rather than a top-down decision, could strengthen the legitimacy of the final text—provided that citizen participation goes beyond symbolism and truly influences the policy's content.