East African governments will next week attempt to turn artificial intelligence from policy buzzword into an economic strategy, as ministers, researchers, investors and technology players meet in Kigali to push for coordinated regional action on the fast-rising technology.
The March 30 to April 1 summit, organized by the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO) and the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), comes as the region faces growing pressure to build the skills, infrastructure and regulation needed to compete in the global AI economy. Organizers say more than 680 delegates will attend the meeting, which is expected to end with the adoption of the Kigali Declaration on AI for East Africa.
The declaration is expected to focus on AI policy coordination and regional competitiveness, with discussions spanning agriculture, healthcare, education, climate resilience, public service and the digital economy. The conference will also examine investment, entrepreneurship, data and language technologies, ethics, and the development of an AI-ready workforce.
“This conference is not merely a gathering of experts — it is a call to collective action,” said EASTECO Executive Secretary Sylvance Okoth. “East Africa stands at a defining crossroads, and how we choose to harness Artificial Intelligence in the coming years will determine the prosperity and resilience of our region for generations to come.”
IUCEA Acting Executive Secretary Idris Rai said universities and researchers would be central to shaping “an AI-driven future that is equitable, evidence-based, and grounded in the realities of our region.”
Echoing the urgency displayed by other stakeholders for the event, he called on universities to lead the charge. “This conference marks an important step in strengthening the capacity of our institutions to drive this transformation and to position higher education as a catalyst for sustainable and inclusive growth.”
The conference is the first in the biennial series to place AI at its center — a deliberate signal of how seriously the region is taking the technology.
The program spans eleven plenary sessions, six thematic tracks covering agriculture, health, climate and digital economy, a youth and women’s innovation showcase; where 16 entrepreneurs from the EAC’s eight partner states will test investor appetite for commercially viable, locally built AI ventures and a ministerial dialogue on Day Three — culminating in the adoption of the Kigali Declaration on AI for East Africa.
Equity Group CEO Dr. James Mwangi is among the keynote speakers.
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