Kenya receives criticism for its newly proposed AI and robotics legislation

IT professionals in Kenya are urging parliament to reject the 2023 Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Society Bill due to various shortcomings. During a session held by the National Assembly’s Communication, Information, and Innovation Committee to observe International Safer Internet Day in 2024, it was revealed that stakeholders in the AI and robotics fields were not involved in the bill drafting process. The bill defines entities as unlicensed if they have not registered their robotics and AI ventures with the Robotics Society of Kenya (RSK). Proposed penalties for unlicensed entities include fines of up to one million Kenyan shillings ($6,269), a potential two-year prison sentence, or both. The RSK would serve as a regulatory body responsible for overseeing and promoting the development of the robotics and AI sectors. However, Alex Gakuru, the director of the Center for Law in Information Technology and head of the American Chamber of Commerce, Kenya, argues that the bill should be withdrawn for further consultation with stakeholders as it fails to adequately address AI concerns and may face legal challenges. Kenya ranks fifth in Africa for its readiness to implement AI, according to the 2022 Government AI Readiness Index by Oxford Insights. Microsoft’s “Artificial Intelligence in the Middle East and Africa Outlook Report” reveals that Kenya has invested an estimated 13 billion shillings ($81.5 million) in AI over the past decade, significantly less than South Africa and Nigeria.