The Kenya AI Bill, formally the Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2026 (Senate Bills No. 4 of 2026), was sponsored by nominated Senator Karen Nyamu. It was published on 19 February 2026 and had its first reading in the Senate on 2 April 2026. According to the Parliament of Kenya’s bill digest, it would set up an Office of the AI Commissioner with a public register of high-risk AI systems. Providers and deployers of high-risk AI would have to carry out risk and human rights impact assessments before deployment, keep documentation and assess job losses. It would be an offence to create or share AI-generated content using a person’s image, voice or likeness without explicit consent where it causes or is likely to cause harm. The most serious offences carry fines of up to KES 5 million, up to two years in prison, or both.
The bill was listed for second reading in the Senate on 4 June 2026, but the order was deferred. News reports in mid-October 2026 say the Senate ICT Committee, chaired by Senator Allan Chesang, recommended that the Senate not proceed with the bill, finding that it regulates AI “too broadly, too early and too punitively” and urging the government to finish its national AI policy first. It is not yet clear whether the full Senate will vote on the committee’s report or whether a revised bill will follow. Any bill passed by the Senate would also need to go through the National Assembly.