Kenya has launched its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy 2025–2030, setting out an ambitious plan to become Africa’s leading hub for AI development and innovation.
The strategy is designed to unlock the country’s digital potential by enhancing productivity, accelerating technological advancement, and creating youth-centred employment opportunities through digital platforms such as content monetisation.
This initiative aligns with Kenya’s broader vision of becoming a premier innovation centre that drives sustainable development, economic growth, and social inclusion. It builds upon ongoing government efforts to expand digital infrastructure, including the nationwide rollout of 100,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable.
This backbone of the country’s digital superhighway will facilitate the creation of digital hubs in every ward, directly addressing the challenge of youth unemployment by opening up new avenues for digital jobs.
Recognising the transformative power of AI, the strategy outlines a comprehensive and inclusive framework for ethical deployment, robust cybersecurity, and data sovereignty.
As AI systems rely heavily on personal data, there is a heightened risk of infringing on individual privacy. The government has therefore placed strong emphasis on protecting national interests while ensuring responsible innovation.
Broad stakeholder engagement is a core tenet of the strategy, with government, academia, private sector, and civil society all expected to play key roles in shaping Kenya’s AI landscape.
At the heart of the strategy is Kenya’s aspiration to build AI solutions that are tailored to local needs. To achieve this, it prioritises the establishment of a strong governance framework, the adoption of AI technologies in key sectors—such as agriculture, healthcare, education, security, and public service delivery—and the nurturing of a thriving local AI ecosystem.
The strategy also emphasises inclusivity, with a focus on ensuring that marginalised communities are not left behind in the digital transition.
Three foundational pillars anchor the strategy. The first is the development of modern, affordable, and accessible digital infrastructure to support AI adoption. The second is the creation of a sustainable and secure data ecosystem to power innovation. The third is a strong focus on research and innovation, aimed at developing localised AI models and solutions that are relevant and commercially viable.
These pillars are supported by four cross-cutting enablers: a dynamic governance and regulatory framework to ensure ethical and transparent AI use; investment in talent development and digital literacy across all demographics; increased public and private sector investment in AI infrastructure; and the promotion of an inclusive and equitable culture around AI development.
To ensure effective execution, the strategy adopts a phased approach. Initial efforts will focus on investments in policy, infrastructure, and capacity-building.
This will be followed by the development of a national AI policy, the establishment of AI research and innovation hubs, implementation of pilot projects, and the creation of a monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress and ensure accountability. While the vision is bold, the strategy acknowledges the importance of maintaining a balance between regulation and innovation.
Achieving this requires continuous collaboration with all stakeholders and benchmarking against global best practices.
By doing so, Kenya aims to fully realise the transformative power of AI and solidify its position as a leading technology and innovation hub in Africa. Ultimately, the strategy seeks to ensure that all citizens benefit from the opportunities created by AI, with a focus on creating a digital economy that is efficient, inclusive, and rich with opportunity for the nation’s youth.
The writer is the chief executive officer of Fanisi Online
