Kenya has launched the artificial Intelligence (AI) for Disability Project, a cross-sector initiative to develop and deploy scalable assistive technologies for persons with disabilities.
The launch, held during the closing ceremony of the Connected Africa Summit 2026 in Nairobi, aligns with commitments made in the summit's Ministerial Communiqué, adopted on 30 April 2026.
The initiative is led by Kenya's Ministry of Information, Communications and the digital Economy in partnership with the Kenya Institute of Special Education, assistive technology innovator inABLE, the Assistive Technologies for Disability Trust, local AI and digital solutions firm Qhala, and Huawei Kenya.
Each partner brings competencies spanning disability inclusion research, AI development, assistive technology deployment, and infrastructure in a model that Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy secretary Mary Kerema described as co-engineering rather than coordination.
"The AI for Disability Project marks a decisive shift from inclusion as an aspiration to inclusion by design," said Kerema. "As government, we are deliberately re-engineering our systems to be inclusive, embedding accessibility into our digital infrastructure, platforms, and services from the outset, rather than retrofitting it later."
The project will leverage national infrastructure including the Konza Technopolis Data Centre and an expanding network of digital hubs, positioning Kenya as a regional hub for accessible technology development and testing.
Kenya's cabinet secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy William Kabogo used the occasion to press African governments more broadly on the urgency of moving beyond policy language.
"As Africa advances its digital agenda, we must remain deliberate in our approach. Africa must be at the table, not on the menu, in shaping solutions powered by emerging technologies," he said.
Founder and executive director of inABLE, Irene Mbari-Kirika, welcomed the partnership, describing it as a critical step toward addressing long-standing barriers faced by persons with disabilities in education, employment, and digital participation through Assistive Innovation.
"For too long, persons with disabilities have been excluded from the digital economy, not because of lack of ability, but because systems were not designed with them in mind," she said, adding that inclusive technology unlocks untapped talent and productivity at scale.
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