Why we should trust Karen Nyamu on AI Bill

Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu. [File, Standard]

Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu’s jetsetter behaviour in public spaces may have eroded her legislative credibility in the eyes of many observers. It’s therefore unsurprising that critics have treated with scepticism the news that she has crafted a Bill seeking to regulate applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Kenya.

The Bill proposes a risk-based classification of AI. Great idea, isn’t it? But perception is still reality. Once you condition people to expect less from you, it’s hard to reset their attitudes. 

The senator aside, a Reuters report has given chilling accounts of how AI led to botched surgeries. In some cases in the US, it was reported, AI-driven systems misled surgeons on the location of instruments while operating inside patients’ heads. It’s AI gone awry.

Kenya, too, is in the throes of AI challenges in the healthcare sector. Ms Nyamu’s Bill is therefore worth considering. It’s heartening, however, that our medical professionals are fully aware of what’s coming. Recently when my friend Stacy Achoki invited me to the Pan African Congress for Radiology and Imaging in Nairobi, I heard firsthand how AI is already impacting our healthcare systems.

Attendees resoundingly conceded that the shared values of integrity, accountability, compassion and respect for patient rights are being tested in a big way. Yet, in the face of ‘temptations’ of tech, our medics insist on preserving the ‘human factor’ at the heart of their ‘sacred’ practice.

At the congress, they wrestled with many questions: What does professionalism mean for a medic in the era of AI? How do you balance cutting-edge tools with human-centered care? And when patient expectations, cultural norms and institutional policies collide, whose judgment prevails?

Dr Juliette Orege, a speaker during at the regional meeting, was emphatic that radiologists can no longer hide behind the darkroom. In the radiologist’s own words: “AI is an enabler. It makes our work easier. But patients still want to know a human being interpreted their report, not just a machine.”

She says that as AI infiltrates diagnostics, technology should supplement, not replace, human judgment. Then, radiation therapist Ceaser Mbarare shared another quandary around institutional policies on patient care. “Sometimes you want to do more for a patient, but financial policies or guidelines hold you back. Is it unprofessional to go beyond what’s prescribed?”

According to Dr Elizabeth Gitau of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council, professionalism means always acting in the patient’s best interest, even when technology or institutional rules create ambiguity. What emerged was the importance of peer review, inter-professional communication and guidance from regulatory agencies to navigate dilemmas evolving faster than the law.

Many contentious questions around the data behind AI algorithms also came up at the summit. The nagging question was whether the algorithms are representative of the African population. Without effective oversight, the medics said, AI could end up introducing bias and undermining clinicians’ interpretive skills.

Cultural norms, too, featured. Michael Atogo of the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority cautioned that whether it’s a gift offered to a facility inspector or conflicting institutional policies, practitioners must reimagine ethics in a context where technology, human relationships and professional judgment intersect.

Here now are my two cents: In the AI era, medical ethics aren’t static. They must evolve alongside technology and societal change. Professionalism must never bend in the face of uncertainty. Being a professional means navigating grey zones of ethics, culture and technology. It requires doctors or any other professionals to hold firm to their values.

Technology can enhance care but can’t replace conscience. We need more heart-to-heart discussions among medics, trainers, hospitals, industry and public to understand AI effects on healthcare. This will address the many dilemmas. Let’s not dismiss Nyamu’s Artificial Intelligence Bill (2026) at face value.