The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has proposed that member states allocate two per cent of their national budgets to Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

According to IGAD, the allocation will help combat transnational crime, terrorism, cybercrime, and border management gaps among its members, which include Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda.

 IGAD Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu stated on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, that citizens in member states should benefit from AI-enhanced security while being protected from digital threats by 2030.

“From this meeting, I propose we adopt the ‘Nairobi Commitment’, which states that by 2030, every IGAD citizen benefits from AI-enhanced security while being protected from digital threats.”

“This means governments allocating at least 2% of budgets to AI security infrastructure, the private sector committing to local talent development, and development partners providing technology transfer for our law enforcement agencies,” he added.

He was speaking during the opening of the three-day Regional Consultative Seminar on Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity for Security, Cooperation, and Resilience in Nairobi.

Furthermore, he proposed the establishment of regional AI ethics protocols for law enforcement, shared cybersecurity standards, and cross-border incident response mechanisms to provide models for balancing innovation with security. 

Similarly, he proposed the launch of the IGAD Digital Security Skills Initiative, which would train cybersecurity experts and establish AI centres of excellence in each member state, with a special focus on law enforcement applications. 

“I call upon us to create the IGAD AI Security Innovation Fund that shall support startups to address our unique regional challenges, ranging from border monitoring to antiterrorism intelligence,” he added.

National AI strategy

This announcement comes a few months after the government launched its national Artificial Intelligence strategy, a five-year plan aimed at positioning the country as Africa’s leader in AI innovation. 

Speaking during the launch of the Kenya National AI Strategy (2025-2030) at the KICC, Nairobi, on March 27, 2025, ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo underscored the need to strike a balance between leveraging AI’s potential and simultaneously mitigating the risks from its malicious use. 

He said the strategy reflects the ambitious path Kenya will take in transforming the digital sector and providing solutions to the country’s challenges. 

“The question isn’t whether we shall adopt AI but how we will shape it to keep Kenya’s future ready in the global digital economy. We must harness the potential of AI to drive economic growth. This process must, however, be guided by ethical principles,” he said. 

“AI is changing the nature of work. While some work will be automated, it will also create new job spaces.”

Kabogo also proposed the idea of taking university students who have studied AI into the public service space and promised to forward an AI Bill to Parliament within four months to regulate the sector. 

The CS noted that if approved, the bill would provide a framework for funding and regulation. 

The report indicates that the government requires at least Ksh152 billion to implement the AI strategy by 2030, with AI’s digital infrastructure accounting for 50 per cent of the budget.