Kenya has officially announced that it will host the 4th Summit on Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) in Nairobi in April 2027, marking the very first time this premier global forum on military artificial intelligence will be held on the African continent. This historic announcement was made during the AI, Security, and Ethics Conference in Geneva by Ambassador Philip Thigo, Kenya’s Special Envoy on Technology, who presented the decision on behalf of Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya. This landmark summit is expected to elevate Africa’s participation in global technology and security policy discussions to an entirely new chapter.
The REAIM platform is the world’s leading multilateral forum dedicated to shaping legal, ethical, and secure frameworks for the utilization of artificial intelligence within the military sector. It brings together a diverse assembly of governments, defense establishments, technology companies, researchers, and civil society organizations under one roof.
The primary objective of the initiative is to ensure that human oversight remains central to military AI deployments, while strictly maintaining accountability and compliance with international humanitarian laws. The 2027 Nairobi summit will place a strong emphasis on turning previously agreed-upon high-level principles into practical, actionable frameworks, focusing specifically on capacity building, institutional readiness, international cooperation, and building bridges between governments and private tech institutions.
Until now, REAIM summits have been exclusively hosted by developed nations, with the inaugural event taking place in The Hague (Netherlands) in 2023, followed by Seoul (South Korea) in 2024, and A Coruña (Spain) in 2026. Kenya has already played an active role in the initiative, having co-hosted the 2024 Seoul summit alongside South Korea, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
However, completely hosting the 2027 edition in Nairobi opens a vital door for African countries to directly participate in crafting global defense AI norms and regulations—a strategic dialogue where representation from the continent has traditionally been limited.
Kenya was selected to host this monumental summit at a time when it is actively solidifying its position as the premier digital technology hub in East Africa and across the wider continent. The country has recently advanced its national artificial intelligence strategy and is aggressively pursuing ambitions to establish East Africa’s first OpenAI Academy to foster regional leadership in tech. Even though the government recently faced domestic fiscal adjustments, including a 32% budget cut to its ICT sector, Kenya has not slowed down its long-term technology policies and international diplomatic engagements.
