EAC urged to adopt Model AI Guidelines to regulate fast-growing artificial intelligence sector

EAC urged to adopt Model AI Guidelines to regulate fast-growing artificial intelligence sector

EAC urged to adopt Model AI Guidelines to regulate fast-growing artificial intelligence sector

Read this story aloud

Listen to the clean text version of this article

Ready
3 min listen
Audio reading is not supported on this browser.

East African legal bodies have called for the adoption of EAC Model AI Guidelines to regulate artificial intelligence use across the region, warning that current legal frameworks are struggling to keep pace with rapid technological growth and emerging risks

Regional legal bodies across East Africa are pushing for the adoption of the East African Community (EAC) Model AI Guidelines to regulate artificial intelligence use, warning that the rapid growth of the technology is outpacing existing legal and ethical safeguards.
In a communiqué issued after its Council retreat and subsequent meeting, the East Africa Law Society said the initiative reflects a coordinated effort by bar associations across the region to promote the responsible and accountable use of artificial intelligence as adoption accelerates across key sectors.
EALS President Ramadhan Abubakar said the proposal represents a unified regional response to emerging risks linked to artificial intelligence.

More To Read

• Google to ban chrome extensions that ‘jailbreak’ AI chatbots
• Anthropic launches Claude Science AI platform to accelerate scientific research
• UNICEF cautions that children are adopting AI three times faster than adults
• Cloudflare sets deadline for AI bots as newspaper publishers push for fair compensation
• Regional legal bodies demand end to Uganda’s arbitrary detentions, media disruption
• Young Africans are turning to AI for emotional support: Is policy keeping up?

“These guidelines will be developed from a community perspective. The development of the guidelines must take into consideration local context and must promote local innovation and the protection of the local innovations,” reads the communiqué.
The proposal emerged from a Council retreat held in Diani, Kenya, in January 2026, and a follow-up meeting in Zanzibar in May 2026, bringing together legal leaders from across the East African Community.
Participants included representatives from the Law Society of Kenya, Uganda Law Society, Tanganyika Law Society, Rwanda Bar Association, Burundi Bar Association, the Zanzibar Law Society, the South Sudan Bar Association and the Ethiopian Federal Advocates Association.

Latest Stories

• Study finds intermittent fasting helps maintain weight loss for at least a year
• Busia school named among global finalists for 2026 education prize
• DP Kindiki hails cooperatives as key to Kenya’s economic transformation
• SHA seeks Treasury funds to clear NHIF claims above Sh10 million

The meetings, facilitated by AI expert Linda Bonyo of Lawyers Hub Kenya, focused on the increasing penetration of artificial intelligence across sectors, including law, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing and public service delivery.
Delegates noted that AI has already become an operational reality in the region, raising urgent concerns around governance, accountability and rights protection.
They observed that only Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia have fully developed national AI strategies, while Tanzania’s framework remains in draft form and Burundi and South Sudan lack dedicated AI governance policies.
The communiqué warned that the lack of regional harmonisation has created regulatory gaps in data governance, algorithmic bias and cross-border technology deployment.
The proposed EAC Model AI Guidelines are expected to establish a unified framework for ethical deployment, human oversight, transparency and risk management, while also promoting innovation within a rights-based approach.
The retreat also recommended mandatory human rights and algorithmic impact assessments for foreign AI providers, particularly in high-risk areas such as predictive policing, judicial analytics and biometric identification.
“The meeting affirmed the readiness of bar associations to undertake strategic litigation and other advocacy for safe deployment and use of AI in East Africa,” said EALS.

Other Topics To Read

Top Stories Today

• Study finds intermittent fasting helps maintain weight loss for at least a year
• Busia school named among global finalists for 2026 education prize
• DP Kindiki hails cooperatives as key to Kenya’s economic transformation
• SHA seeks Treasury funds to clear NHIF claims above Sh10 million
• Eight arrested in Marsabit over Sh1.2 million SIM swap fraud
• What the World Cup hydration breaks reveal about who governs men’s football

`;
}

return “;
}

function commentActionsMarkup(comment, canComment) {
const likeLabel = comment.liked_by_me ? ‘Liked’ : ‘Like’;
const likeCount = Number(comment.like_count || 0) > 0
? “
: ”;

const likeButton = canComment && comment.status === ‘approved’
? “
: “;

const replyButton = canComment && comment.status === ‘approved’
? “
: ”;

return `

`;
}

function commentMarkup(comment, canComment, isReply = false) {
const pendingBadge = comment.status && comment.status !== ‘approved’
? “
: ”;

const edited = comment.is_edited
? “
: ”;

const repliesHtml = Array.isArray(comment.replies) && comment.replies.length
? `

`
: “;

return `

`;
}

function replyFormMarkup(commentId) {
return `

`;
}

function setNotice(widget, message, type = ‘info’) {
const notice = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”notice”]’);
if (!notice) return;

if (!message) {
notice.hidden = true;
notice.textContent = ”;
notice.classList.remove(‘is-error’);
return;
}

notice.hidden = false;
notice.textContent = message;
notice.classList.toggle(‘is-error’, type === ‘error’);
}

function setCount(widget, total) {
const count = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”count”]’);
if (!count) return;

const num = Number(total || 0);
count.textContent = num === 1 ? ‘1 comment’ : `${num} comments`;
}

function openReplyBox(widget, commentId) {
widget.querySelectorAll(‘[data-role=”reply-box”]’).forEach(box => {
box.hidden = true;
box.innerHTML = ”;
});

const targetItem = widget.querySelector(`.ev-comments__item[data-comment-id=”${commentId}”]`);
if (!targetItem) return;

const replyBox = targetItem.querySelector(‘[data-role=”reply-box”]’);
if (!replyBox) return;

replyBox.hidden = false;
replyBox.innerHTML = replyFormMarkup(commentId);

const textarea = replyBox.querySelector(‘textarea’);
if (textarea) textarea.focus();
}

function closeReplyBox(container) {
if (!container) return;
container.hidden = true;
container.innerHTML = ”;
}

async function initCommentsWidget(widget) {
const state = {
articleId: Number(widget.dataset.articleId),
loadUrl: widget.dataset.loadUrl,
storeUrl: widget.dataset.storeUrl,
commentsBaseUrl: widget.dataset.commentsBaseUrl,
canComment: widget.dataset.canComment === ‘1’,
page: 1,
perPage: 10,
sort: ‘newest’,
total: 0,
hasMore: false,
busy: false
};

const list = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”list”]’);
const loading = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”loading”]’);
const empty = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”empty”]’);
const loadMoreBtn = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”load-more”]’);
const sortSelect = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”sort”]’);
const composerForm = widget.querySelector(‘[data-role=”composer-form”]’);

async function loadComments(reset = true) {
if (state.busy) return;

state.busy = true;
setNotice(widget, ”);
loading.hidden = false;

if (reset) {
state.page = 1;
list.innerHTML = ”;
empty.hidden = true;
}

try {
const url = new URL(state.loadUrl, window.location.origin);
url.searchParams.set(‘page’, state.page);
url.searchParams.set(‘per_page’, state.perPage);
url.searchParams.set(‘sort’, state.sort);

const response = await requestJson(url.toString(), {
method: ‘GET’,
headers: {
‘Accept’: ‘application/json’,
‘X-Requested-With’: ‘XMLHttpRequest’
}
});

const items = Array.isArray(response.data) ? response.data : [];
const meta = response.meta || {};

state.total = Number(meta.total || 0);
state.hasMore = !!meta.has_more;

setCount(widget, state.total);

if (reset) {
list.innerHTML = ”;
}

if (!items.length && reset) {
empty.hidden = false;
} else {
empty.hidden = true;
list.insertAdjacentHTML(
‘beforeend’,
items.map(item => commentMarkup(item, state.canComment, false)).join(”)
);
}

loadMoreBtn.hidden = !state.hasMore;
} catch (error) {
if (!list.children.length) {
empty.hidden = false;
empty.textContent = ‘Unable to load comments right now.’;
}
setNotice(widget, error.message || ‘Unable to load comments.’, ‘error’);
} finally {
loading.hidden = true;
state.busy = false;
}
}

async function submitTopLevelComment(form) {
const textarea = form.querySelector(‘textarea[name=”content”]’);
const button = form.querySelector(‘[data-role=”submit-comment”]’);

if (!textarea) return;

const content = textarea.value.trim();
if (!content) return;

const originalText = button ? button.textContent : ”;

try {
if (button) {
button.disabled = true;
button.textContent = ‘Posting…’;
}

const response = await requestJson(state.storeUrl, {
method: ‘POST’,
headers: buildJsonHeaders(),
body: JSON.stringify({
article_id: state.articleId,
content: content,
source_url: window.location.href
})
});

textarea.value = ”;

if (response?.data) {
list.insertAdjacentHTML(
‘afterbegin’,
commentMarkup(response.data, state.canComment, false)
);
empty.hidden = true;

if ((response.data.status || ”) === ‘approved’) {
state.total += 1;
setCount(widget, state.total);
}
}

setNotice(widget, response.message || ‘Comment posted successfully.’);
} catch (error) {
setNotice(widget, error.message || ‘Unable to post comment.’, ‘error’);
} finally {
if (button) {
button.disabled = false;
button.textContent = originalText || ‘Post comment’;
}
}
}

async function submitReply(form) {
const commentId = Number(form.dataset.commentId || 0);
const textarea = form.querySelector(‘textarea[name=”content”]’);
const button = form.querySelector(‘.ev-comments__reply-submit’);

if (!commentId || !textarea) return;

const content = textarea.value.trim();
if (!content) return;

const originalText = button ? button.textContent : ”;

try {
if (button) {
button.disabled = true;
button.textContent = ‘Posting…’;
}

const response = await requestJson(`${state.commentsBaseUrl}/${commentId}/reply`, {
method: ‘POST’,
headers: buildJsonHeaders(),
body: JSON.stringify({
article_id: state.articleId,
content: content,
source_url: window.location.href
})
});

if (response?.data) {
const parentItem = widget.querySelector(`.ev-comments__item[data-comment-id=”${commentId}”]`);
if (parentItem) {
const repliesWrap = parentItem.querySelector(‘.ev-comments__replies’);
if (repliesWrap) {
repliesWrap.insertAdjacentHTML(
‘beforeend’,
commentMarkup(response.data, state.canComment, true)
);
}
}
}

closeReplyBox(form.closest(‘[data-role=”reply-box”]’));
setNotice(widget, response.message || ‘Reply posted successfully.’);
} catch (error) {
setNotice(widget, error.message || ‘Unable to post reply.’, ‘error’);
} finally {
if (button) {
button.disabled = false;
button.textContent = originalText || ‘Post reply’;
}
}
}

async function toggleLike(button) {
const commentId = Number(button.dataset.commentId || 0);
if (!commentId) return;

const originalHtml = button.innerHTML;

try {
button.disabled = true;
button.innerHTML = ‘Working…’;

const response = await requestJson(`${state.commentsBaseUrl}/${commentId}/like`, {
method: ‘POST’,
headers: buildJsonHeaders(),
body: JSON.stringify({})
});

const liked = !!response?.data?.liked;
const likeCount = Number(response?.data?.like_count || 0);

button.classList.toggle(‘is-liked’, liked);
button.innerHTML = `${liked ? ‘Liked’ : ‘Like’} ${likeCount > 0 ? “ : ”}`;
} catch (error) {
button.innerHTML = originalHtml;
setNotice(widget, error.message || ‘Unable to update like.’, ‘error’);
} finally {
button.disabled = false;
}
}

if (composerForm) {
composerForm.addEventListener(‘submit’, function (e) {
e.preventDefault();
submitTopLevelComment(composerForm);
});
}

if (sortSelect) {
sortSelect.addEventListener(‘change’, function () {
state.sort = this.value || ‘newest’;
loadComments(true);
});
}

if (loadMoreBtn) {
loadMoreBtn.addEventListener(‘click’, function () {
if (state.busy || !state.hasMore) return;
state.page += 1;
loadComments(false);
});
}

widget.addEventListener(‘click’, function (e) {
const likeBtn = e.target.closest(‘[data-action=”toggle-like”]’);
if (likeBtn) {
e.preventDefault();
toggleLike(likeBtn);
return;
}

const replyBtn = e.target.closest(‘[data-action=”toggle-reply”]’);
if (replyBtn) {
e.preventDefault();
openReplyBox(widget, Number(replyBtn.dataset.commentId || 0));
return;
}

const cancelReplyBtn = e.target.closest(‘[data-action=”cancel-reply”]’);
if (cancelReplyBtn) {
e.preventDefault();
closeReplyBox(cancelReplyBtn.closest(‘[data-role=”reply-box”]’));
}
});

widget.addEventListener(‘submit’, function (e) {
const replyForm = e.target.closest(‘.ev-comments__reply-form’);
if (replyForm) {
e.preventDefault();
submitReply(replyForm);
}
});

loadComments(true);
}

document.addEventListener(‘DOMContentLoaded’, function () {
document.querySelectorAll(‘.ev-comments’).forEach(initCommentsWidget);
});
})();

Trending

Eight arrested in Marsabit over Sh1.2 million SIM swap fraudNorthern Kenya
|Bashir Mbuthia
|2 hours ago

Study finds intermittent fasting helps maintain weight loss for at least a yearHealth
|Charity Kilei
|22 minutes ago

UK, France agree with Oman on multinational military mission to secure Strait of HormuzNews
|Mary Wambui
|6 hours ago

IGAD pushes regional action to tackle plastic pollutionNews
|Rachael Mutabasi
|6 hours ago

DP Kindiki hails cooperatives as key to Kenya’s economic transformationNews
|Rachael Mutabasi
|1 hour ago

What Kenya’s record Sh1.82 trillion forex reserves mean for the economyBusiness
|Alfred Onyango
|7 hours ago

Families of Ethiopians on Saudi death row gripped by fear as executions loomRegional
|Addis Standard
|4 hours ago

Government reaffirms commitment to inclusive development across all regionsNews
|Mary Wambui
|4 hours ago

Venezuelan man rescued alive eight days after powerful quakesWorld
|DW News
|1 day ago

Iran begins six-day funeral for late Supreme Leader Ali KhameneiWorld
|DW News
|9 hours ago