Kenyan and Ugandan lawmakers are seeking closer parliamentary cooperation on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies as they grapple with how to regulate innovations that are advancing faster than existing laws can keep up.
The issue took centre stage on Wednesday when Kenya’s National Assembly Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation, chaired by Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie, met Uganda’s ICT Committee at Parliament. The Ugandan delegation was in Kenya to learn from the country’s experience in digital infrastructure, technology policy and legislation as Kampala works on its own legal framework for artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
The discussions focused on how governments can put in place laws that protect citizens and consumers without creating rules that could slow down technological development. Lawmakers said regulations need to be flexible enough to respond to technologies whose uses and impact are still changing.
Kiarie called for a broader approach to technology laws, saying lawmakers should not focus only on artificial intelligence but also consider developments linked to the wider Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He cited cryptocurrency and the Internet of Things among technologies that require attention, arguing that laws written around a single technology could soon become outdated as new innovations emerge.
Kenya’s progress in expanding digital services was also part of the engagement. The Ugandan lawmakers showed interest in Kenya’s digital hubs and the role played by the devolved system in spreading digital infrastructure and services across the counties.
More than 300 digital hubs were operational in Kenya by April 2026, while additional facilities were still under construction.
The Ugandan delegation also received a briefing from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy on the infrastructure, policy and legal measures required to support the use of artificial intelligence.
Uganda acknowledged Kenya’s progress in different areas of the digital sector while also sharing its efforts to improve connectivity and expand its technology infrastructure.
The lawmakers further discussed Uganda’s plans to simplify its ICT laws. Members of the Ugandan committee said the existing laws covering telecommunications, technology and communications had become difficult to interpret and apply.
They also pointed to constitutional challenges that had led to parts of some laws being nullified.
To address the challenge, Uganda is considering a proposed Telecommunications, Technology and Communication Bill that would bring different provisions together under a single legal framework.
The Ugandan delegation also proposed setting up a regulatory sandbox within the ministry responsible for ICT.
The facility would provide a controlled environment where emerging technologies could be tested before regulators decide how they should be governed.
Kenya’s experience with M-Pesa was cited as another example of the difficulty of regulating new technologies using existing legal categories.
Kiarie said the mobile-money service initially raised questions over whether it fell mainly under banking and finance or communications and technology.
“When M-Pesa was introduced, questions arose over whether it belonged primarily to banking and finance or communications and technology. Kenya initially created regulatory “riverbanks” within which the service could operate while authorities assessed its implications,” he noted.
“M-Pesa subsequently evolved into a cross-sector service spanning technology, finance and human development, illustrating the challenge of regulating innovations that do not fit neatly into existing categories,” he added.
The two committees agreed to maintain parliamentary engagement and share legislative experience as East African countries work towards deeper digital integration.
Isiolo MP Mohammed Tubi said sustained engagement between the committees would give both countries a better understanding of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies while helping them develop laws that can keep pace with technological change without limiting innovation.