Kiarie seeks tougher safeguards as AI takes root in Kenya
The discussions also focused on whether existing laws are adequate to address emerging challenges posed by AI or whether new legislation and safeguards are required.
Nairobi, Kenya—Dagoretti South Member of Parliament John Kiarie has urged Parliament to impose stricter oversight on the deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the country. Kiarie, who heads the National Assembly’s Communications, Information and Innovation Committee, stated during a webinar hosted by the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training that legislation and institutions must keep pace with AI development to safeguard Kenyan citizens' rights and maintain accountability.
Kiarie highlighted that AI could potentially impact various sectors such as employment, education, healthcare, financial services, social protection, security, and justice. He emphasized the need for Parliament to examine the development, procurement, and deployment of AI systems, particularly those that influence decisions affecting people's livelihoods and access to essential services.
Grace Githaiga, CEO of Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet), warned that technological advancements should not jeopardize human rights. She noted that AI systems could analyze extensive data to derive conclusions about individuals, create profiles, and make decisions based on information for which the original purpose may have been different.
This has raised questions about data used to train AI models, the information systems can infer about individuals, and the consequences of automated decision-making. Additionally, experts raised concerns that AI systems could perpetuate existing inequalities if trained on historical data containing discriminatory patterns. Such biases could affect decisions in sectors like recruitment, lending, education, healthcare, insurance, and public services.
The ICT Authority has also stressed the requirement for stronger safeguards as government agencies integrate AI into service delivery. ICT Authority CEO Jessy K Maruti stressed that government accountability cannot be delegated to vendors or algorithms. He identified infrastructure, standards, institutions, and accountability as essential pillars for responsible AI adoption in government.
Maruti emphasized the need for human oversight when AI systems are used to make or assist decisions affecting individuals’ rights, benefits, safety, or access to government services. He also called for mechanisms allowing citizens to contest AI-driven decisions, seek human review, and obtain remedies for errors. The ICT Authority proposed a risk-based approach to AI regulation, with low-risk applications facing basic safeguards and high-risk systems requiring stringent measures.
These measures include impact assessments, independent reviews, external validation, registration, regular audits, and clear appeal mechanisms. High-risk applications might even be prohibited outright. Kiarie’s committee will oversee the formulation of the emerging policy and regulatory framework, ensuring government procurement of AI technologies aligns with protecting citizens' rights and providing value for taxpayers.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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