PS Dr. Chris Kiptoo Calls for Responsible AI Integration in Fiscal Management to Advance Transparency
Principal Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, Dr. Chris Kiptoo, has called for the responsible integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in fiscal management, emphasizing its transformative potential to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability in public finance while advancing economic governance across Africa.
Speaking during the Macroeconomic and Financial Management Institute of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI) Combined Forum 2025, held alongside the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington, D.C., Dr. Kiptoo commended MEFMI for foregrounding AI as a strategic priority in public finance management.
He noted that AI offers vast opportunities for governments to strengthen revenue forecasting, expenditure tracking, debt management, and compliance monitoring, thereby improving the precision, transparency, and responsiveness of fiscal policy.
Highlighting Kenya’s progress in digital transformation, Dr. Kiptoo cited the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) as a cornerstone of efficiency in procurement, payments, and expenditure oversight. He also pointed to collaboration between the National Treasury and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) in deploying AI-driven predictive analytics and risk profiling, which has already enhanced domestic resource mobilization and compliance outcomes.
While acknowledging AI’s potential to revolutionize fiscal administration, Dr. Kiptoo cautioned that technology should augment rather than replace sound policy and human judgment. He stressed that the successful adoption of AI depends on robust data governance frameworks, institutional capacity, cyber resilience, and ethical safeguards to ensure accountability and integrity in AI-assisted decision-making.
Dr. Kiptoo also urged regional cooperation through MEFMI, the IMF, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank to promote capacity-building, peer learning, and the establishment of AI Centers of Excellence. He affirmed Kenya’s readiness to share its experiences and best practices in digital fiscal reforms with other member states.
“Technology must serve people, not the other way around,” Dr. Kiptoo emphasized, calling for sustained investment not only in systems but also in values, fairness, accountability, and equity—to create resilient, transparent, and trusted fiscal systems across the continent.
The remarks underscore Kenya’s growing leadership in digital fiscal innovation and its commitment to fostering responsible technology adoption for sustainable economic growth.
