Liberia is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence and is Africa’s first and oldest modern republic. It was among the few African countries to maintain its sovereignty during the Scramble for Africa.
Countries
Kuwait
Kuwait is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. Kuwait also shares maritime borders with Iran. Kuwait has a coastal length of approximately 500 km (311 mi). Most of the country’s population resides in the urban agglomeration of the capital city Kuwait City.
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. Roughly half of South Korea’s population lives in the Seoul Capital Area, making it the world’s fourth most populous metropolitan area. Other major cities include Incheon, Busan, and Daegu.
North Korea
North Korea is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and Tumen rivers, and South Korea to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The country’s western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan.
Kenya
Kenya is among Africa’s fastest-growing economies, with the government recognising the digital economy as a key driver to attain national, regional, and global objectives. The Kenya Vision 2030 initiative guides Kenya’s digital economy, aiming to elevate the country to a newly industrialised, middle-income status.
Internet governance
Kenyan stakeholders are active participants in various internet governance forums and initiatives at the regional and global levels. Kenyan stakeholders participate in the Kenya Internet Governance Forum (KeIGF), the East African Internet Governance Forum and the Africa Internet Governance Forum. Kenya is a member of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
Digital strategies
The Kenya National Digital Master Plan 2022-2032 encompasses four pillars aimed at delivering digital services to citizens, businesses, and stakeholders: Digital Infrastructure, Digital Government Services, Product, and Data Management, Digital Skills, Digital Innovation, Enterprise, and Digital Business.
Kenya launched its National E-Commerce Strategy on 13 December 2023, with the aim of fortifying its position as a digital frontrunner in Africa and fostering inclusive growth. This strategy, anchored on four pillars, focuses on overhauling legal and regulatory frameworks, optimising payment accessibility, refining trade logistics for seamless e-commerce fulfilment, and upholding standards for data privacy, protection, and consumer rights.
Cybersecurity
The National Cybersecurity Strategy 2022-2027 serves as a comprehensive plan to confront emerging challenges and threats in the cyber realm. Aligned with the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act 2018, it coordinates efforts across multiple agencies to detect, prohibit, prevent, respond to, investigate, and prosecute cybercrime. The strategy is built upon six key pillars, including establishing governance structures, implementing robust policy and legal frameworks, safeguarding critical information infrastructure, nurturing a skilled cybersecurity workforce, advancing capabilities, reducing crime and incidents, and promoting cooperation and collaboration. It represents a collective call to action for all stakeholders to fulfil their responsibilities in ensuring a safe and trusted cyberspace for the benefit of Kenya and its people.
AI strategies and policies
Kenya does not currently have a stand-alone national AI strategy or regulatory framework. Instead, it relies on existing laws like the Data Protection Act (DPA) of 2019 to address issues related to AI and digital technologies
Kenya’s government started exploring the potential of AI in 2018 when it created the Distributed Ledgers Technology and AI Task Force to develop a roadmap for how the country can take full advantage of these technologies. The report the task force published in 2019 notes that AI and other frontier technologies can increase national competitiveness and accelerate the rate of innovation, ‘propelling the country forward and positioning [it] as a regional and international leader in the ICT domain’. As actions that could help achieve this goal, the report recommends investments in infrastructure and skills development and the development of ‘effective regulations to balance citizen protection and private sector innovation’.
The 2022–2032 Digital Master Plan contains extensive references to AI. It starts from acknowledging that ‘AI technologies and capabilities will be the in thing in the next 5–10 years and Kenya cannot afford to be left behind or to be the late laggards’ and sets as an objective the development of an AI master plan to encourage the research, development, and deployment of AI solutions ‘to solve local problems while exporting the same capabilities to other countries’. The plan also envisioned strengthened international partnerships with leading R&D actors in the emerging technologies space, to facilitate technology transfers and attract foreign direct investments.
The Emerging Digital Technologies for Kenya: exploration and analysis report evaluates the potential of the emerging technological revolution to further boost Kenya’s already notable achievements in ICT adoption and development. Kenya’s government has a robust track record of involvement and prioritization of digital agendas in Africa. The country’s proactive approach to embracing innovation, particularly through collaboration with the private sector, has earned it the nickname ‘Africa’s Silicon Savannah’.
Kenya’s progressive approach to national development is evident in its Big Four Agenda, which aims to bolster food security, affordable housing, manufacturing, and healthcare. This agenda will be further bolstered by leveraging emerging technologies. The report outlines how these technologies can support each agenda item, from utilizing the internet of things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance health coverage to employing Blockchain technology to ensure food sustainability by eliminating counterfeit seeds. It argues that distributed ledgers, particularly Blockchain and AI, have the most potential to be disruptive and transformative among all emerging technologies.
Faroe Islands
Haiti
Haiti, formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica and south of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. To its southwest lies the small Navassa Island, which is claimed by Haiti but is disputed as a United States territory under federal administration. Haiti is the most populous country in the Caribbean.
Lesotho
Lesotho is a country landlocked as an enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest mountains in Southern Africa. Lesotho covers 30,355 km2 (11,720 sq mi). It is the only independent state in the world that lies entirely above 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) in elevation. Its lowest point of 1,400 metres (4,593 ft) is thus the highest lowest point of any country in the world. Over 80% of the country lies above 1,800 metres (5,906 ft). Lesotho is the southernmost landlocked country in the world. It is the largest of the world’s three independent states, surrounded by the territory of another country, with Vatican City and San Marino being the other two.
Lebanon
Lebanon is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lies to its west across the Mediterranean Sea; its location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has contributed to its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious diversity. It is part of the Levant region of the Middle East.
