Kenya Scales Up Public Sector AI Training to 9,000 Civil Servants

Kenya has expanded an initiative designed to build artificial intelligence capabilities across its civil service, targeting the training of an additional 9,000 public servants at national and county levels, according to UNESCO. The scale-up follows the graduation of 1,239 state workers who completed the inaugural phase of the programme administered through the Kenya School of Government.

The training is delivered through a massive open online course created by UNESCO alongside the University of Oxford, addressing artificial intelligence ethics, data governance, and human-centred technological transitions. According to project records, 2,730 learners entered the initial intake. Following the first completion ceremony held in Nairobi on 8 October 2026, the second cohort commenced on 21 October and quickly registered 2,380 new participants. To anchor long-term instruction, the school launched an affiliated e-Learning and Information Technology Institute to provide continuous research and professional development.

The instructional effort is part of the Digital Platforms Kenya project, funded through the United Nations Joint SDG Fund with backing from the European Union and 17 donor states. According to UNESCO, implementation is coordinated with the UN Capital Development Fund, the UN Environment Programme, and UN Women. To ensure subnational participation, organisers are deploying a network of 15 digital innovation hubs across 12 counties to assist local public administrators with access and study support.

What it means

For emerging economies, building internal technical competence and ethical oversight inside public administration is vital to ensure that automated public services address local citizen priorities rather than worsen digital divides or foreign dependencies.