Kenya Opens Draft AI Policy for Public Comment Until August 4th

Kenyans have less than a week to weigh in on how the country will regulate artificial intelligence. The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy has opened the Draft Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy 2026 for public participation, with submissions closing August 4 before the policy moves toward Cabinet approval and eventual gazettement.

Building on the National AI Strategy launched in March 2025, the draft sets out how Kenya intends to govern AI as its use expands across the economy. At the centre of the proposal is a National AI and Other Emerging Technologies Council, which would serve as the country's primary AI regulator.

Risk oversight would fall to a proposed Kenya AI Safety Institute, which would test AI systems and classify their risk levels, with authority to set the safety guidelines systems must meet before deployment. Sector-specific technical working groups are also proposed to set standards across industries, while a public AI and Emerging Technologies Registry would track AI systems operating in the country.

Local languages are a central theme in the draft. Through a proposed National African Languages and Voice Programme, the policy aims to push AI developers toward building systems that understand and generate Kenyan and other African languages, rather than defaulting mainly to English.

The policy is also expected to complement the AI Bill currently before Parliament, which proposes an AI Commissioner to oversee compliance. Exactly how the two frameworks will work together remains unclear.

Drafting began in November 2025, led by a multi-stakeholder Technical Working Group made up of representatives from government, academia, startups and civil society. KICTANet, the British High Commission, the European Union, Germany and Canada have all supported the process.

Submissions close August 4. Readers can review the draft and submit feedback through the Ministry's public participation portal, or by email to aipolicy@moict.go.ke.