#Kenya #responsibleAI - The Government of Kenya has signed a Joint Declaration with US AI safety and research company Anthropic, establishing a framework for cooperation on responsible AI, research and practical applications tailored to Kenya’s national priorities. The agreement, signed on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York, covers AI skills and capacity building, research, responsible public-sector applications, AI safety and evaluation, and locally relevant uses in education and health. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Abraham Korir Sing’Oei signed for Kenya, with Anthropic’s Head of Beneficial Deployments Elizabeth Kelly signing on the company’s behalf.
SO WHAT? - The month’s of work that has reportedly been committed to developing this joint declaration suggest that it has been well-thought through and will lead to short-term actions. The first takes between Anthropic with Special Envoy Philip Thigo’s began in June through a Silicon Valley meeting with CEO Dario Amodei and a follow-up session with Anthropic’s Global Impact Lead Courtney O’Donnell in September. Kenya has likely focused on areas of collaboration that help move its national AI strategy forward, rather than settling for a symbolic declaration.
KEY POINTS:
Kenya and Anthropic signed a Joint Declaration on 22 September 2026 in New York, establishing a cooperation framework on responsible AI, research, innovation and practical applications supporting Kenya’s national priorities.
The partnership covers four core areas: AI skills and capacity building, research, responsible public-sector applications, and AI safety and evaluation, alongside locally relevant applications in education and health.
Dr Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, signed on behalf of the government, with Elizabeth Kelly, Anthropic’s Head of Beneficial Deployments, signing for the company.
Ambassador Courtney O’Donnell, Anthropic’s Global Impact Lead, and Kenya’s Special Envoy on Technology Ambassador Philip Thigo witnessed the signing.
Thigo said the partnership would help Kenya build local AI expertise and develop technologies tailored to its needs while protecting the country’s data sovereignty.
The agreement follows months of engagement, starting with Thigo’s initial discussions with Anthropic in June 2026 and a subsequent trip to Silicon Valley to meet Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.
On 3 September 2026, Kenya’s ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary John Tanui met an Anthropic delegation led by O’Donnell to discuss AI skills for public servants, SMEs, cybersecurity and potential pilot projects.
The partnership forms part of Kenya’s wider technology diplomacy agenda and supports implementation of the Kenya AI Strategy 2025-2030.
No specific tools, products or public-facing services have been announced yet; the declaration provides for future pilots, training programmes and research initiatives involving Kenyan institutions.
ZOOM OUT - The Anthropic deal fits a pattern that's built up fast this year. In June 2026, President William Ruto and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman discussed plans for East Africa's first OpenAI Academy, a proposed Nairobi hub for AI education and skills training. The following month, Qhala partnered with Mistral AI and French Tech Nairobi to launch an accelerator for African startups working in education, healthcare and agriculture. Google ran a Gemini workshop for Nairobi creators and students in September, alongside a wider offer of free AI Plus subscriptions across 27 African countries. Kenya has been engaging OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Mistral AI and Cohere in recent months, part of a deliberate push to be seen as a producer of AI talent rather than just a market for it.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]
Source: Anthropic, various
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