Regional effort welcome

An initiative by some Ugandan and Kenyan MPs to enhance cross-border co-operation in tackling new common challenges is the way to go. After all, this was the spirit behind the establishment of the East African Community (EAC).

The lawmakers are exploring closer parliamentary cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to develop regulatory frameworks for the rapidly evolving sector. This is part of a broader parliamentary engagement aimed at sharing legislative and policy experiences on emerging technologies.

The EAC’s mission is to enhance co-operation for regional development by identifying constraints and jointly confronting them. By tackling modern challenges jointly, the legislators are reviving the core mission of regional integration: Solving shared problems that do not respect national borders.

Such regional co-operation is essential in the development of cross-border policies and laws to govern evolving technologies, including AI, The Internet of Things and cryptocurrencies. The laws should be enacted or enhanced to mitigate any risks or dangers that may arise.

The Ugandan and Kenyan MPs, who sit in ICT committees, want swift action taken for their people’s benefit. According to the MPs, the speed at which technology is developing requires an anticipation of future challenges rather than waiting for problems to arise before responding. They should now also reach out to their counterparts in the other EAC member states – Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.

There is, indeed, an urgent need to consolidate the laws on computer misuse, telecommunications technology and communications. The EAC spirit is anchored on widening and deepening economic, political, social and cultural integration among the partner states to improve the people’s quality of life.

Regional co-operation should enable the pooling of expertise and resources for the beneficial harnessing of new technologies.

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The author is a writer, journalist and curator of the Wall of Great Africans. X: @cobbo3