By Courtesy
Kenya has emerged as a leading voice in global digital policy after high-level United Nations talks in New York charted the future of digital cooperation.
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) Outcome Review High-Level Meeting, marked twenty years since governments committed to building an inclusive, people-centered information society.
The discussions set priorities for global digital governance over the next decade.
Kenya played a central role in the talks as co-facilitator of the WSIS+20 review process alongside Albania, guiding negotiations that ended with the outcome document being adopted by consensus at the UN General Assembly.
The agreement renews global focus on closing digital divides, strengthening multistakeholder governance, and aligning technology with sustainable development goals.
The Kenyan delegation was led by Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Stephen Isaboke, together with Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Ekitela Lokaale, and Special Envoy on Technology Ambassador Philip Thigo.
Officials from the Ministries of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, and the Communications Authority of Kenya were also part of the delegation.
Addressing the meeting, Mr. Isaboke stressed that digital transformation must prioritize people over technology.
“WSIS was never just about technology. It was about people, dignity, opportunity and rights,” he said, cautioning that rapid advances in artificial intelligence raise unresolved questions about who truly benefits from digital progress.
He drew on Kenya’s own experience to show how policy reforms and public investment can narrow digital gaps.
These include expanding last-mile broadband through the Universal Service Fund and rolling out 1,450 public digital hubs nationwide, alongside more than 150 privately run innovation hubs.
Looking ahead, Mr. Isaboke said Kenya is determined to ensure emerging technologies support development rather than deepen inequality.
He highlighted the country’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and growing investments in digital and AI skills across government and society.
On the sidelines of the summit, Kenya also deepened bilateral engagement with the European Union, with talks focusing on connectivity, data governance, artificial intelligence, digital identity and innovation.
The EU recognized Kenya as a key regional partner and a digital gateway for East and Central Africa, citing its subsea cable infrastructure and expanding data center capacity.
Discussions explored cooperation on satellite connectivity, including low-earth orbit systems to reach remote areas, and future subsea cable projects linking Africa and Europe.
The EU also pledged to increase funding for the Internet Governance Forum by 30 percent to boost participation by developing countries.
Kenya’s regional leadership was further highlighted at a Nigeria-hosted WSIS+20 side event, where Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo, EGH, represented by Mr. Isaboke, called for stronger African cooperation on digital public infrastructure, harmonized policies and trust-based systems that protect rights while enabling innovation.