By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Kenya and the United States
are exploring deeper technology and investment partnerships to accelerate
artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and local technology
capabilities, as government and private-sector leaders seek to turn Kenya’s
digital ambitions into practical projects.
The discussions took place
at the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Business Summit in Nairobi during
the “American Tech Stack Roundtable,” held under the theme “Advancing Kenya’s
Digital Transformation through American Technology, Strategic Partnership, and
Local Capability.”
The roundtable brought
together government, industry and private-sector stakeholders to examine how
Kenya and the United States can develop a scalable partnership around AI and
digital infrastructure, with investment, skills development, practical projects
and regulatory predictability identified as key priorities.
Principal Secretary for ICT
and the Digital Economy, Eng. John Tanui, reaffirmed Kenya’s ambition to remain
a leading destination for technology investment and outlined the policy
environment being developed to provide investors with greater regulatory clarity,
data security and support for innovation-led growth.
“We are ready to listen and
to find how we can work with you to facilitate your investment in this
country,” Tanui told potential U.S. investors.
Talent development featured
prominently in the discussions, with Tanui calling for deeper partnerships
between Kenya, U.S. technology companies and academic institutions to build
skills in emerging and high-growth technology sectors.
He identified semiconductors
as one area where Kenya sees an opportunity to develop capabilities and
integrate into global technology value chains.
Mary Kerema, Secretary for
ICT, Digital Economy and Emerging Technologies Directorate, said Kenya is ready
to move from policy development to implementation and stressed that
partnerships should produce tangible, end-to-end solutions that improve how citizens
access services, learn and participate in the digital economy.
The roundtable also
highlighted the importance of sustained consultation between government and
industry as Kenya develops its digital technology framework.
Participants called for
internationally recognised, risk-based regulatory approaches capable of
supporting innovation while providing greater certainty for investors and
technology companies.
