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
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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.
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“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.
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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.
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