Today Kenya marked a major milestone in public sector innovation with the launch of the UNESCO–Oxford Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation in Government, developed by UNESCO and the University of Oxford, and delivered through the Kenya School of Government (KSG) under the DigiKen – Digital Platforms Kenya programme, funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund.
Speaking on the launch of the MOOC, Dr. Stephen Jackson, UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, highlighted that the initiative “positions Kenya at the forefront of responsible digital governance in Africa,” adding that by building the digital and ethical capacities of civil servants, Kenya is “enhancing institutional effectiveness, improving public service delivery, and advancing Sustainable Development Goal 16 on accountable, transparent, and inclusive governance.”
Louise Haxthausen, UNESCO Regional Director for Eastern Africa, emphasized that the course “equips civil servants with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to use technology responsibly, improve public services, and strengthen trust between government and citizens.” She underlined that the shared goal is “to make innovation in government human-centered, inclusive, and grounded in human rights and accountability.”
Prof. Nura Mohamed, Director General of the Kenya School of Government, stated, “Kenya is proud to pioneer this UNESCO–Oxford MOOC. Through the Kenya School of Government, we are empowering civil servants to deliver inclusive, secure, and citizen-focused digital services for the future.”
Targeting officers at Job Grade CG8 (JG N) and above in Kenya, the MOOC offers practical learning to help civil servants harness digital technologies and artificial intelligence responsibly to promote transparency, efficiency, and citizen trust in governance.
Implemented jointly by UNESCO (lead agency), UNCDF, UNEP and UN Women in collaboration with the Government of Kenya, DigiKen aims to train 20,000 civil servants by 2027.
This milestone underscores how joint UN action is accelerating Kenya’s inclusive and human-centered digital transformation, advancing progress toward SDG 9 and SDG 16.
Read more on the course: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/equipping-civil-servants-ai-era
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
