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Kenya Senate adopts a Bill to regulate AI with new Commissioner

The Kenya Senate has been actively discussing and advancing the Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2026, but recent reports (as of March 17, 2026) indicate that the bill has been introduced, tabled, and is under debate in the Senate rather than fully adopted or passed into law yet.
Sponsored by Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu, the bill was introduced in February 2026 (published in the Kenya Gazette around February 19, 2026) as Kenya's first comprehensive attempt to regulate AI. 
It aims to establish a legal framework for the development, deployment, and governance of AI systems, emphasizing ethical use, transparency, innovation, and protection of human rights and data privacy.
Key Provisions of the Bill
Office of the Artificial Intelligence Commissioner — This is a central new body proposed in the bill. The Commissioner would be appointed by the President (with parliamentary approval) and head an independent office to oversee AI regulation. Powers include:
1. Classifying AI systems by risk levels (e.g., high-risk systems in areas like biometrics, credit scoring, health diagnostics).
2. Requiring approval for high-risk AI deployment.
3. Inspecting systems, summoning individuals, accessing records/data.
4. Developing ethical guidelines, issuing enforcement notices, and maintaining a public register of AI tools.
5. Managing regulatory sandboxes for safe testing of AI innovations (to support startups).
6. Promoting AI literacy and advising on integration in sectors.
Penalties — Non-compliance, especially with high-risk systems without approval, could lead to fines up to KES 5 million (about $38,000), imprisonment up to 3 years (or 2 years in some reports), or both. 
It also targets misuse like deepfakes, fake news, or misleading content (e.g., politically manipulated media).
Other Elements — It includes an advisory committee (with representatives from ICT Ministry, Data Protection Commissioner, etc.), risk assessments, investigations into bias or rights violations, and alignment with international standards (inspired partly by EU approaches).
The Bill addresses growing concerns over AI risks in Kenya, including digital fraud, misinformation (especially ahead of elections), algorithmic bias, and unchecked deployment in key sectors.



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