Kenya's presidential adviser warns against rushing to regulate AI laws

Kenya’s presidential adviser on digital transformation has warned governments against rushing to regulate artificial intelligence, saying premature laws could stifle the innovation that is already transforming African economies.

- Haneen Dajani [e-mail]

“The idea is that you do not rush to legislate,” said Philip Thigo, Presidential Adviser on Digital Transformation in the Office of the President of Kenya. “You have to let people thrive — you don’t get anywhere without trying.”

Speaking during the Abu Dhabi Global AI Summit, Thigo said Kenya’s experience shows that policy should follow innovation — not precede it. “We are very able to leverage existing infrastructure, even when we build our own,” he said. “We're not waiting for infrastructure — we build on that.”

Thigo described Kenya as a“proof-of-scale” country where local developers are designing solutions that reach real users, rather than remaining in pilot stages. “A majority of these young folks do not even have a university degree, yet they are building appli-