Koome joins African push to lead AI governance and justice reform

Caption Chief Justice Martha Koome has joined a continental push to champion African-led artificial intelligence governance and legal reforms that empower citizens. She spoke at the 4th Africa Soft Power Summit in Nairobi on May 23, where she was joined by Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo and other leaders from across the continent. Koome said Kenya's courts are shifting from adversarial arenas to mediation spaces, marking a broader cultural transformation in how justice is delivered. "We are evolving into empowering spaces for justice," she said, urging leaders to build legal systems that prioritise equity, fairness and public trust. Koome also underscored the role of Africa's courts in protecting digital rights and public interest in a fast-changing era. "Our task is to ensure that Africa's transformation is built on the foundation of the rule of law, with judiciaries that deliver justice fairly, impartially and with integrity," she said. Odhiambo called on male leaders to actively mentor women, saying gender equity must move beyond goodwill and become a strategic, long-term investment. "Equity requires shared responsibility," she said. The two-day summit, running through May 22nd - 23rd, brought together thought leaders, policymakers, investors and innovators from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and other African nations to address leadership, investment and technological development challenges. Dr Nkiru Balonwu, founder of the Africa Soft Power Group, said inclusion must be treated as a serious investment in the continent's future-not a feel-good gesture. The summit opened with the Remarkable Africa Women Leadership Conference under the theme Sustaining Momentum: Leading Transformations When Inclusion Isn't Trending. Speakers noted that African women, as the continent's largest political voting bloc, hold community power critical to driving authentic reforms. Edwin Macharia, co-founder of Axum.Earth and Mozilla board member, said African startup ecosystems remain limited by foreign control of capital decisions. "Our future depends on economic nationalism-investing in our own asset classes to build wealth across borders and claim our rightful place in the global economy," he said, calling for pooled investments and cross-border collaboration. Other leaders warned that without clear policies, Africa risks becoming a testbed for unregulated biotech and AI. Dr Saitina, a policy advocate, urged African countries to craft homegrown frameworks that separate real AI breakthroughs from marketing hype. Nigeria's Central Bank Director General of Financial System Stability Philip Ikeazor said AI must work hand-in-hand with strong policies, especially in anti-money laundering and fraud detection, which are increasingly non-negotiable. Infrastructure remained a key concern, with panelists from MasterCard Foundation, Caretel Africa and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System saying poor power grids and limited cyber protections are raising costs and stalling inclusion. Bernard M Kinara, General Manager of Interswitch Kenya, said AI tools like natural language coding could improve access for women and speakers of local languages, but warned that unchecked systems carry built-in biases. The summit's AI governance panel called for more digital literacy among both policymakers and citizens, urging education programmes that focus on real-world applications for farmers, creatives and civil servants.

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Koome joins African push to lead AI governance and justice reform

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