Defence Cabinet Secretary Hon. Soipan Tuya, on her official visit to A Coruña, Spain, participated in the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Military (REAIM) Summit 2026, where she held bilateral engagements and took part in the Ministerial Meeting, reaffirming Kenya’s leadership and commitment to responsible, ethical and lawful use of artificial intelligence in defence and security.
On the side-lines of the Summit, the Cabinet Secretary held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Hon. Margarita Robles, Minister for Defence of the Kingdom of Spain, focused on strengthening defence and maritime security cooperation. The meeting reaffirmed the long-standing cordial relations between Kenya and Spain and acknowledged Spain’s continued engagement in maritime security within the Western Indian Ocean region. Discussions highlighted Spain’s leadership in advancing the ethical, responsible and lawful application of AI in defence, a commitment shared by Kenya through its active participation in the REAIM process. Opportunities to deepen collaboration were explored, including maritime security, naval training, technical support and maintenance, maritime domain awareness, cyber security, as well as cooperation in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
Hon. Tuya also participated in the REAIM Ministerial Meeting, where she articulated Kenya’s approach to responsible AI in defence and security, emphasizing that AI must strengthen, never undermine, international peace and security, human dignity and the rule of law. She underscored Kenya’s growing global leadership in AI governance, including service on the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Body on AI, co-sponsorship of the first UN General Assembly resolution on safe and trustworthy AI, participation in crafting the first UNGA resolutions on Responsible AI in the Military Domain, and co-facilitation of the Global Digital Compact to ensure inclusive, science-based global AI policy reflective of the Global South.
Highlighting Kenya’s commitment to translating policy into action, the Cabinet Secretary noted that Kenya hosted the Second Africa Regional REAIM Consultations in August 2025, bringing together 17 African nations to position the continent as an active architect of global AI governance. Domestically, Kenya has launched the National AI Strategy 2025–2030, establishing robust frameworks to align AI development with inclusive socio-economic progress and human dignity.
Additionally, Hon. Tuya held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Ruben Brekelmans, Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Head of Delegation to the REAIM Summit 2026. The engagement acknowledged the growing strategic partnership between Kenya and the Netherlands in emerging peace and security and defence domains, while reaffirming a shared commitment to the responsible application of AI in the military domain and to strengthening regional and global security through ethical and accountable innovation.
Present during the bilateral engagements were H.E. Nairimas Sharon Ole Sein, Ambassador of Kenya to Spain; Brigadier Yusuf Adan, Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces Communication Information System (CIS); and other senior officials from the Kenyan, Spanish and Netherlands delegations.
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