Kenya has ranked 22nd out of 56 Commonwealth countries in a new study assessing youth readiness for artificial intelligence (AI), making it the highest-ranked East African Community (EAC) country. The country scored 48.7 out of 100 in the Ayre Index.
The index, launched during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, placed Uganda second in East Africa at 23rd with 47.0 points, followed by Tanzania at 25th with 45.5 and Rwanda at 47th with 38.1.
Despite leading the EAC rankings, Kenya remains below the study’s youth AI readiness benchmark of 53 points. Only 15 of the 56 Commonwealth countries reached or exceeded the benchmark.
Singapore topped the index with 77.6 points, followed by Malta, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. South Africa, ranked 13th, and Nigeria, ranked 15th, were the highest-performing African countries.
The research was conducted by the Ayre Think Tank, founded by Antiguan-Canadian businessman Calvin Ayre. Applying International Monetary Fund (IMF) economic scenarios to Kenya, the researchers estimated that AI could increase the country’s GDP level by US$1.971 billion after 10 years under a moderate scenario. The projected gain ranges from US$952 million in a conservative scenario to US$2.991 billion in an optimistic scenario.
According to the study, Kenya’s potential economic gain is the third largest among the 41 countries below the readiness benchmark, after Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The research also found that 55.5 per cent of Kenyan 15-year-olds reported assessing AI-generated material during lessons. It highlighted existing institutional foundations, including an operational data protection authority and legal safeguards covering certain automated decisions.
Ayre said AI would influence employment, business and wealth creation, adding that young people needed access to relevant skills and opportunities to participate in the changing economy.
Kenya has an estimated 16.7 million young people aged between 15 and 29. While 4G networks cover 97.3 per cent of the population, electricity access stands at 77 per cent, and businesses continue to report internet connectivity disruptions.
The study also highlighted existing initiatives aimed at translating AI skills into employment and business opportunities. In 2025, entrepreneurship platform MESH and Microsoft reported that 55,000 young Kenyan micro-entrepreneurs had completed AI skills training.
In June 2026, UNESCO reported that its AI and digital skills initiative in Kenya had reached more than 5,300 beneficiaries, mainly students, across 23 technical and vocational institutions.
The white paper identifies five priorities for improving youth AI readiness: affordable and reliable access to technology, practical skills-based education, stronger pathways from training to employment and entrepreneurship, AI tools suited to local languages and needs, and safeguards that allow young people to challenge automated decisions.
The index draws on 1,128 sources and covers approximately 732 million young people across the Commonwealth. It assesses countries through seven pillars and 102 indicators, using an AI model that applies a fixed scoring framework. The researchers have also published the underlying data and code to allow independent reproduction of the results.
Professor C. Justin Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of the University of the West Indies, Five Islands Campus, said young people should be equipped to do more than consume AI products developed elsewhere.
