Kenya signs AI deal with Anthropic as Ruto leads UN delegation in New York

Kenya has sealed a landmark artificial intelligence partnership with American AI giant Anthropic.

The two parties signed a Joint Declaration in New York on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, marking a major step in Kenya's push into the global AI space.

President William Ruto heads Kenya's delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where they reached the deal.

The trip affirmed Kenya's push to boost Africa's voice on peace, development, and digital transformation on the world stage.

Ruto has repeatedly linked AI to regional and global partnerships, arguing that Kenya and Africa need to pool resources, talent, and infrastructure to capture real value from AI, rather than simply depending on systems built elsewhere.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei signed on Kenya's behalf. Elizabeth Kelly, Anthropic's Head of Beneficial Deployments, signed for the company.

Witnessing the ceremony were Anthropic's Global Impact Lead, Amb. Courtney O'Donnell, and Kenya's Special Envoy on Technology, Amb. Philip Thigo.

After the signing, PS Sing'oei credited Thigo for pushing the partnership over the line, thanking him for driving the deal with Anthropic.

The declaration covers AI skills and capacity building, research, responsible public-sector applications, AI safety and evaluation, and real-world uses in education and health.

The next phase moves from framework to action pilots, research initiatives, and training programmes involving Kenyan institutions.

Both sides will also co-create initiatives, build local capacity, test AI applications, and scale up successful programmes, all in line with Kenyan law.

Central to the deal is a commitment that frontier AI technologies developed and applied in Kenya reflect the country's institutions, languages, development priorities, and public interest.

Crucially, the agreement comes with safeguards. Kenyan law will govern any future programme involving access, including data protection, cybersecurity and public-sector requirements.

The declaration does not touch Kenya's authority over its own public data, nor does it change government institutions' obligations to protect personal and sensitive information.

Coordination of the partnership will sit under the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.

Ambassador Thigo opened talks with Anthropic back in June 2026, including calls with Kelly, before travelling to Silicon Valley to meet CEO Dario Amodei and pitch Nairobi's vision for responsible AI deployment.

After those meetings, Thigo said Kenya had a chance to help shape "a different model for working with frontier AI companies", one rooted in co-creation, trust, safety by design, and local capability.

The groundwork continued on September 3, 2026, when ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary Eng. John Tanui met an Anthropic delegation led by O'Donnell. Discussions centred on AI skills for public servants, SMEs, cybersecurity, and pilot projects.

Tanui pointed to Kenya's existing investments in digital talent, noting that the country is reinforcing its policy backbone through the Kenya AI Strategy 2025–2030 and an ongoing AI and Emerging Technologies Policy.

The Anthropic deal is the latest move in Kenya's broader technology diplomacy strategy, striking partnerships with global tech firms, research institutions, and governments to help shape emerging technologies for public benefit.