from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – KENYA has taken a major step towards advancing artificial intelligence (AI) transformation in public service and empowering civil servants with digital skills.
The East African nation is also integrating AI into its education system to enable learners and educators to thrive in the digital economy.
On Monday, Kenya held an inaugural multi-stakeholder project implementation board meeting towards the implementation of the Regional Centre of Competence (RCOC) for Digital and AI Skilling for the Public Service.
John Tanui, Principal Secretary in the State Department for ICT and Digital Economy together with Lars Tushuizen, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Kenya deputy resident representative, co-chaired the meeting.
Technology experts, prominently from a partner in the project, Microsoft, attended alongside government officials.
A number of agreements were reached, including the composition of the project board, criteria for the initial 10 000 public servants to benefit from training and regional collaboration, which would culminate in Kenya sharing its model and resources with 37 African countries to strengthen continental AI capabilities.
In addition, Kenya is deepening collaboration with UNDP, Microsoft and other partners for curriculum, technology access and research support.
“With these steps, Kenya is firmly positioning itself as a continental hub for AI excellence, boosting efficiency, decision-making and inclusive governance,” Tanui said in Nairobi.
Tanui also presided over the just-concluded eighth Young Scientists Science and Technology Exhibition where he outlined Kenya’s integration of AI in education.
From the basic education level to tertiary education, he underlined the importance of AI in the sector.
The Ministry of Education, through the State Department of Basic Education, has embarked on building requisite tech infrastructure across the country, including science labs.
“New and emerging technologies like AI will play a critical role by improving the quality of education in our schools,” Tanui said.
“It will empower those who are training our teachers to be able to access knowledge that is available globally. It will enable them to deliver education in the most efficient way using AI tools to customise their instructions in a way that fits the context of the students.”
Tanui explained that learners would be able to access AI tools that would skill them in the new, emerging workspace.
“The future of work is changing, the future of work is digital and online. We want our learners at an early stage to be equipped with the tools that will be involved in the workspace, AI being one of them. We will also have specific programmes on AI that will continue to equip our teachers and trainers.”
– CAJ News