Strathmore CIPIT

Catch up on the first session of our AI & IP Conversations 👉🏽youtu.be/FdBPQ7iLm48?si… We are exploring a more in-depth masterclass series designed for individuals interested in building knowledge and practical skills at the intersection of AI and IP.👉🏽forms.gle/yc1m3wvzubgAe8…

The East Africa Data Governance Conference aims to create a platform for collaborative conversations on how we manage data and build a comprehensive regional framework for the data ecosystem. This is because data governance goes beyond protection and it’s about accountability, inclusion, and shared responsibility. As highlighted by @alkags , Open Institute has been actively sensitising the public on the importance of protecting personal data and staying safe online through the Ficha Uchi Campaign. This plays a critical role in strengthening data governance by empowering citizens to take an active role in safeguarding their data rights. Read more about the article the-star.co.ke/news/2026-03-1… Read more about Ficha Uchi Campaign fichauchi.org @alkags @ODPC_KE @AmnestyKenya @TISAKenya @pdpoUG @ASSEKnews @ikassait @VictorNdede @nyogude @EdnaKasozi #EADataGov26 #DataGovernance #DigitalRights #DataProtection

As Data Commissioner @Ikassait noted in her keynote address, there has been a surge in complaints from members of the public regarding the unethical use of personal data. This underscores the urgent responsibility for organisations to take data protection seriously and uphold ethical data practices. The Open Institute, through the #FichaUchi campaign has been at the forefront of raising awareness on data privacy, educating the public on how to protect their personal information and to exercise their rights under the Data Protection Act. Read more about Ficha Uchi Campaign on fichauchi.org Watch the full keynote address here: youtube.com/watch?v=eKbDR6… @alkags @ODPC_KE @AmnestyKenya @SafaricomPLC @pdpoUG @Data4SDGs #EADataGov26 #DataGovernance #DigitalRights #DataProtection

CIPIT’s Joshua Kitili joined a panel at the 2026 @Datapgsa Essay Competition, contributing to discussions on privacy, surveillance, and data protection in an evolving digital landscape. Congratulations to all the essay winners 👏🏽 🎉

Is a prompt enough to claim ownership? Register 👉🏽us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

The East Africa Data Governance Conference 2026 convened diverse voices from across the region to reflect on one critical question: How can East Africa harness digital innovation while safeguarding rights, trust, and accountability? Over two days, the conference explored key themes including community agency and inclusion in data governance, accountability and ethical data practices, collaboration across stakeholders, innovation grounded in equity and community participation, data protection litigation and legal progress, and regional cooperation in building trusted and resilient data systems. The conversations made one thing clear: the future of data governance in East Africa must be collaborative, people-centred, and grounded in strong governance frameworks. If you missed the sessions or would like to revisit the key insights, read our full recap of the conference: openinstitute.africa/2026/03/13/eas… Watch Day 1 discussions: youtube.com/watch?v=SIyyRe… Watch Day 2 discussions: youtube.com/watch?v=K7MX5Y… @alkags @ODPC_KE @AmnestyKenya @StrathCIPIT @KCBInKenya @TISAKenya @SafaricomPLC @pdpoUG @ASSEKnews @UNESCO @VictorNdede @nyogude @EdnaKasozi @Ikassait #EADataGov26 #DataGovernance #DigitalRights #DataProtection

Day 1 | East Africa Data Governance Conference 2026 Regional leaders gathered in Nairobi to tackle a critical question: How can East Africa drive digital innovation while protecting rights, trust, and accountability? Key conversations: * Data sovereignty & ownership * Cross-border data governance * Digital public infrastructure * Ethics & accountability in AI Innovation must go hand in hand with rights-respecting governance. #EADataGov26 #DataProtectionKE #DataGovernanceKE

Day 1 of the East Africa Data Governance Conference 2026 sparked key conversations on the future of data, AI, and digital rights in the region. Discussions explored tech growth vs rights, data sovereignty, cross-boarder data flow, safeguarding regional data systems, synthetic media, and rebuilding accountability. The message was clear: collaboration among stakeholders in building inclusive and trusted data governance is essential for East Africa’s digital future. Watch the sessions: youtube.com/watch?v=SIyyRe… @alkags @ODPC_KE @AmnestyKenya @StrathCIPIT @KCBInKenya @TISAKenya @SafaricomPLC @pdpoUG @ASSEKnews @UnescoEast @VictorNdede @nyogude @EdnaKasozi @ikassait @SDGsKenyaForum #EADataGov26 #DataGovernance #DataProtection #DigitalRights

Day 2 deepened conversations on building responsible, people-centered data ecosystems in East Africa. Key discussions included the human story behind governance, the value & risks of Digital Public Infrastructure, community voices in data ethics, and human oversight of AI during elections. The takeaway: innovation and accountability must evolve together. 🎥 Watch Day 2: youtube.com/watch?v=K7MX5Y… @alkags , @ODPC_KE, @AmnestyKenya, @StrathCIPIT, @KCBInKenya , @TISAKenya, @SafaricomPLC, @pdpoUG , @ASSEKnews , @UNESCO @VictorNdede, @nyogude, @EdnaKasozi, @ikassait, @SDGsKenyaForum #EADataGov26 #DataGovernance #AIinAfrica #DigitalRights

How should copyright respond when AI generates music, art, or text? 👉🏽 bit.ly/40iFNtY

👉🏽 youtu.be/9TKvLDTiZaw?si… "In an African framing grounded in Ubuntu or Ujamaa, governance is relational. I am because we are.” ~Dr. Melissa Omino (LLD)

“Governance that starts when the dataset is already compiled has already missed the mark.” ~Dr. Melissa Omino (LLD)

“There has been some form of marginalization before and after digitalization, especially in rural areas where digital tools are not readily available. Without deliberate efforts to address these inequalities, technology risks reproducing or even deepening the same exclusions that already exist offline. There is also limited information from both the government and the private sector on how they have deployed artificial intelligence in their systems. This lack of openness makes it difficult to assess the potential risks, biases, or harms associated with these technologies in service delivery. In addition, many automated services operate with little room for human oversight or explanation. When decisions or reports are generated by automated systems, individuals often have no clear way to understand how those outcomes were reached or to challenge them, raising important concerns about accountability and fairness.” - Josephine Kaaniru - Research Associate, CIPIT (@StrathCIPIT) Follow the live conversation: youtube.com/live/SIyyReeAz… @ODPC_KE, @AmnestyKenya,@pdpoUG #EADataGov26 #DataProtectionKE #DataGovernance

The session, 'Testing before Scaling: Sandboxes for Data Governance in Digital Public Infrastructure', explored the role of regulatory sandboxes as a practical tool for testing data governance models before they are implemented at scale. The panelists talked of how sandboxes allow governments, regulators, and technology developers to experiment with new systems in controlled environments, identifying potential risks, governance gaps, and unintended consequences before full deployment. Further, the session highlighted how sandboxes and public oversight can help governments build safer, more transparent, and rights-respecting digital public infrastructure, ensuring that innovation in data systems does not come at the expense of privacy, trust, and public accountability. @Open_Institute @StrathCIPIT #EADataGov26 #DataProtectionKE

Panel discussion: As synthetic media continues to accelerate across Africa, an important question emerges: who owns the training data? Legal practitioners are increasingly being called upon to prepare frameworks that protect consent rights, verify how data is collected and released, and safeguard both personal and creative ownership in the age of AI. This will require stronger Data Protection Acts, clear opt-out mechanisms for individuals, and the development of ethical AI standards tailored to the region. At the same time, existing copyright laws do not fully address how AI systems are trained, particularly when publicly available or government data is used. For example, an AI tool trained on legal texts from law reports may be permissible under Creative Commons licensing, yet this still raises questions about ownership and attribution. Another challenge arises from the way users interact with AI platforms. When individuals upload their photos or other personal content to AI tools, they may unknowingly provide implicit consent for that data to be used in training algorithms. Ultimately, AI ownership remains a complex and evolving issue, made even more difficult by the challenges of enforcing rights in rapidly developing digital ecosystems. Follow the live conversation: youtube.com/live/SIyyReeAz… @alkags , @ODPC_KE, @AmnestyKenya, @StrathCIPIT, @KCBInKenya , @TISAKenya, @SafaricomPLC, @pdpoUG , @ASSEKnews , @UNESCO @ikassait @VictorNdede, @nyogude, @EdnaKasozi #EADataGov26 #DataProtectionKE #DataGovernance

“We had to dispel the myth that a one‑size‑fits‑all solution is what would work. Creative Commons is often treated as a one‑size‑fits‑all tool; you simply pick a license from the suite, apply it to your dataset, and move on without needing to speak to anyone. In some contexts, that makes sense. But in African language contexts, it doesn’t. The community is not involved in that negotiation, and the licenses themselves were never designed with African language datasets in mind.” - @MelissaOmino @StrathCIPIT @Open_Institute #EADataGov26 #DataProtectionKE

“A responsible dataset should begin with community engagement, not data collection. This means building relationships, negotiating trust, and clearly explaining what data use, consent, and licensing mean for the community. Communities should not simply be sources of data—they must be active partners in data governance, shaping what is collected, how it is used, and what benefits return to them. When communities are meaningfully embedded in governance processes, the quality of datasets improves. People are more willing to share information when there is trust, transparency, and shared value.”  Dr. Melisa Omino (@MelissaOmino) - Director, @StrathCIPIT Follow the live conversation: youtube.com/live/SIyyReeAz… @alkags @ODPC_KE @AmnestyKenya @VictorNdede @nyogude #EADataGov26 #DataProtectionKE #DataGovernance

#EADataGov26 is in full swing and CIPIT is on ground!🥳🎉 Stop by our booth, say hello, and learn more about our work on advancing AI governance, Data protection, Intellectual Property and digital policy across Africa. youtube.com/shorts/uiALIF1…

The human story behind governance😇…...Join CIPIT’s Director, Dr. Melissa Omino (LLD), for a conversation at the #EADataGov2026 on why people must remain at the center of data governance. Join the conversation virtually: conference.openinstitute.africa/register/

In case you missed it… here’s a recap!👉🏽youtu.be/eFBmjvrZt8U?si… The latest webinar on “AI Explained: Shaping Policy in Africa” under the AI Governance Webinar Series is available on CIPIT’s YouTube page. And don’t forget, our next webinar is coming up on 15th April.👀