Kenya has been urged to measure the success of digital transformation by how technology improves the experience of citizens and customers, rather than focusing only on financial returns as artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly changes public services and business operations.
ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary Eng John Kipchumba Tanui said organisations must consider whether new technologies are making services easier to access, more convenient, trustworthy and effective for the people who use them.
Tanui spoke on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address at the ICX Kenya CEO Breakfast Meeting, where business leaders examined how organisations can use technology and AI to create greater value for customers and citizens.
The meeting, hosted by ICX Kenya Board Chair Joseph M. Choge, was held under the theme, “Leading for Return on Experience: Reimagining Customer Value in the Age of AI”.
Tanui said organisations have for years relied on Return on Investment (ROI) as a key measure of success, but the growing use of AI has created a need to look at the wider value technology brings to people.
“For decades, organisations have measured success through Return on Investment (ROI). Today, as AI reshapes industries and customer expectations evolve, we must also think deeply about Return on Experience (ROX) — the value created when technology makes interactions simpler, faster, more trusted and more meaningful.”
He said the shift towards Return on Experience (ROX) was especially important for government as more public services move online.
“For government, this means putting the citizen at the centre of digital transformation by making public services more accessible, responsive, transparent and convenient. For business, it means moving beyond products and transactions to create experiences that build trust, strengthen loyalty and drive sustainable growth.”
Tanui said Kenya was putting in place the infrastructure needed to support the growing use of digital services and AI.
He pointed to expanded fibre connectivity, public Wi-Fi, interoperable government platforms, cloud adoption, digital skills development and responsible AI initiatives as some of the foundations supporting the country’s digital transformation.
However, he cautioned that having technology in place would not by itself determine whether the transformation succeeds.
“Kenya is building the digital foundations for this shift through expanded fibre connectivity, public Wi-Fi, interoperable government platforms, cloud adoption, digital skilling and responsible AI development. But technology is only an enabler. The real measure of transformation is what people experience and the outcomes that follow.”
Tanui said AI could help improve decision-making, expand inclusion and build trust, but warned against treating the speed of adoption as the main measure of progress.
He called for businesses and public institutions to use AI in a responsible and purposeful way as they bring the technology into their daily operations.
“AI presents an even greater opportunity, but the race should not simply be about who adopts AI fastest. It should be about who uses it most responsibly and purposefully to improve decisions, strengthen trust, expand inclusion and deliver better outcomes.”
The PS also said cooperation between government, businesses, universities, innovators and professional organisations would be needed to develop the skills, standards and governance systems required as AI-driven transformation expands.
The breakfast meeting brought together senior executives from the technology, financial services, education, insurance and telecommunications sectors.
The panel included Higher Education Loans Board Chief Executive Geoffrey Monari, NTT DATA East Africa Managing Director Richard Hechle, Jubilee Life Insurance Company CEO Njeri Jomo and Riana Group CEO and co-founder Ranaf Makhani.
Other participants included Liquid Intelligent Technologies Vice-President and CEO Neeraj Pradhan, Genesys executives Robert Groves and Franc van van Os, as well as other business leaders and technology partners.
Discussions at the forum focused on the growing role of AI and digital innovation in changing how organisations create value for customers and citizens across Africa.
Tanui’s message placed trust, user experience and real results at the centre of Kenya’s next phase of digital transformation, calling on organisations to judge technology by the difference it makes in people’s everyday interactions with services.