01/08/2026
πππ ππππππ πππππππ - πππππππ ππππππ August 1,2026
Artificial Intelligence Must Work for Workers, Not Against Them
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Kenya stands at a defining moment in its digital transformation. As the country invites public participation on the proposed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, we have a rare opportunity to determine not only how AI will be adopted, but also whose interests it will serve. The choices we make today will shape the future of work for generations of Kenyan workers.
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept. It is already influencing how governments operate, how businesses make decisions, and how citizens access services. Used responsibly, AI has enormous potential to improve efficiency, reduce bureaucracy, enhance decision-making and strengthen the delivery of public services.
For public servants, AI should become a partner that simplifies routine tasks, improves productivity and allows employees to focus on work that requires human judgment, creativity and compassion. Technology should make work betterβnot make workers expendable.
As a trade union leader, I fully support the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence. However, technological progress must never come at the expense of workersβ rights, dignity or livelihoods. AI should not become a convenient justification for unfair job losses, excessive workplace surveillance or the weakening of labour protections that workers have fought for over many decades.
The proposed AI Policy must therefore contain clear and enforceable safeguards. No public officer should lose employment or be declared redundant solely because an institution has introduced AI systems. Where technology changes the nature of work, the Government must invest in reskilling, redeployment and continuous digital skills development so that employees are equipped to work alongside emerging technologies rather than be displaced by them.
Equally important is the protection of employeesβ rights in the digital workplace. AI systems must be transparent, free from algorithmic bias and subject to meaningful human oversight, especially where they influence recruitment, promotions, disciplinary action or performance evaluations. Decisions affecting peopleβs careers should never be left entirely to machines.
The policy must also uphold employeesβ right to privacy by ensuring that workplace monitoring technologies are proportionate, lawful and respectful of individual dignity. Innovation should never become a licence for intrusive surveillance.
Meaningful consultation with recognised trade unions should be a mandatory requirement before AI systems are deployed in public institutions. Workers are not obstacles to innovation; they are indispensable partners in ensuring that technological change is fair, practical and sustainable. Policies developed with workers, rather than for workers, are more likely to succeed.
Around the world, governments are grappling with the opportunities and challenges presented by Artificial Intelligence. Kenya has the chance to distinguish itself by adopting an AI framework that promotes innovation while placing people at its centre. Economic progress and workersβ rights are not competing interestsβthey are mutually reinforcing.
The future of work should remain human-centred. Artificial Intelligence should empower public servants to deliver better services, improve efficiency and strengthen public institutions, whieele preserving the dignity, rights and welfare of every worker.
As Kenyans contribute to this important public participation process, let us choose a future where technology complements human talent instead of replacing it; where innovation creates opportunity instead of insecurity; and where Artificial Intelligence serves the public interest without sacrificing the people who make public service possible.
The writer is Mr. Wilson Asingo, ππππ’π¨π§ππ₯ ππ«π ππ§π’π³π’π§π ππππ«ππππ«π² -ππ§π’π¨π§ π¨π πππ§π²π ππ’π―π’π₯ πππ«π―ππ§ππ¬ (ππππ)
