Kenya’s Cabinet has established a Standing Cabinet Committee on Artificial Intelligence to drive the country’s national AI strategy, coordinate policy across government and position Kenya as a regional leader in responsible AI development.
The committee’s remit spans AI-driven innovation, improvements to public service delivery, job creation and inclusive economic growth, along with putting governance frameworks and safeguards in place. Its formation puts high-level AI coordination at the center of government decision-making.
The committee does not replace the National AI Steering Committee, chaired by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, which guided development of the national strategy. Rather, it is expected to clarify who in the Cabinet is responsible for coordinating with the ministry on national initiatives and for handling AI policy in Parliament.
The move builds on the Kenya Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025-2030, launched in March 2025. The strategy rests on three pillars — AI digital infrastructure; data and AI governance; and AI research, innovation and commercialization — with a focus on developing localized models for agriculture, healthcare, education and public services. It was developed with support from the European Union, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Development Research Centre and the U.K.’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The economic stakes are significant. AI is projected to add some $2.4 billion to Kenya’s economy by 2030, according to research by Public First, while the country’s information and communications technology market is forecast to reach $14.92 billion by the same year.
In the same session, the Cabinet adopted a National Business Process Outsourcing Policy aimed at attracting international investment, creating jobs for young people and growing Kenya’s share of the global BPO market. That market is projected to exceed 68 trillion Kenyan shillings ($526 billion) by 2030, and the policy targets the opportunity by drawing on Kenya’s English-speaking workforce, favorable time zone and existing digital infrastructure.
The committee’s formation follows months of legislative activity. In February 2026, a draft Artificial Intelligence Bill was brought to the Senate proposing an independent Office of the Artificial Intelligence Commissioner. The bill recommended a four-tier risk classification system modeled on the EU AI Act, along with fines of up to 5 million Kenyan shillings (about $40,000) and two-year prison terms for creating or distributing harmful AI-generated content. The Senate then directed the ministry to draft a national AI policy covering research, ethical guidelines, regulatory sandboxes and AI education.
