Kenya is positioning itself as a global leader in training civil servants in artificial intelligence and digital governance through a new Massive Open Online Course developed with UNESCO, the University of Oxford, and the Kenya School of Government.
In a statement, Eng. John Kipchumba Tanui, principal secretary for the State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, said the course will equip public servants to guide ethical digital transformation and deliver citizen-centered services. “Kenya is proud to pioneer this Massive Open Online Course on AI and Digital Transformation in Government,” Tanui said. “Delivered through the Kenya School of Government, the course will equip civil servants with the essential competencies to lead digital transformation and innovation ethically.”
The course forms a flagship part of the DigiKen – Digital Platforms Kenya program, a 36-month initiative funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund and led by UNESCO with partners including the United Nations Capital Development Fund, UNEP, and UN Women. It operates under the oversight of the UN resident coordinator in Kenya and the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy.
Tanui noted the MOOC supports Kenya’s Digital Masterplan 2022–2032, which aims to digitize 80 percent of government services, extend the national fiber optic network by 100,000 kilometers, and expand public Wi-Fi access nationwide. He said these investments require skilled leaders capable of governing digital platforms, protecting personal data, navigating AI, and upholding human rights to maintain public trust.
Based on UNESCO’s AI and Digital Transformation Competency Framework for Civil Servants, the self-paced course takes an average of six weeks to complete. It covers AI fundamentals, data as a public asset, ethics and human rights, digital system governance, inclusive service design, and digital leadership. Participants will receive a certificate from the University of Oxford, UNESCO, and the Kenya School of Government.
The first Kenyan cohort will begin in October 2025, followed by a global rollout on Nov. 10, 2025. The program aims to train more than 20,000 public servants by 2027.
“This MOOC fosters visionary and ethical leadership, aligned with global best practices in digital governance,” Tanui said. He encouraged officials across ministries, agencies, county governments, commissions, and other public institutions to enroll through the Kenya School of Government platform, saying the skills will help build a public service grounded in integrity, transparency, and accountability.
