As some of Africa’s largest economies and democracies look to explore the integration of Artificial Intelligence into their electoral processes, the journey is marked by a mix of hope and apprehension.
Kenya, with general elections in the next two years, is on the frontline of this approach.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has been engaging stakeholders on the implications of AI, social media and digital platforms in election management.
In February, at a conference organised by the Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa, IEBC chief executive Marjan Marjan underscored the need to recognise and balance the opportunities and risks in the use of AI in elections.
“Africa must develop new capabilities, new tools and new regulatory frameworks to ensure AI works for it, for its partners, for its interests and for its values, and not against it,” Marjan said.
Elgia executive director Felix Odhiambo, while hailing the African Union’s recent decision to develop guidance on AI for development, urged the creation of strong legal and ethical frameworks for its use in electoral systems.
“AI offers incredible possibilities, but it must be governed responsibly. Without proper regulation, it can easily become a tool for manipulation instead of transparency,” he said.
In April, Marjan said the commission deployed AI in the 2022 General Election by using a WhatsApp Bot to disseminate electoral information and analyse the Register of Voters to check for duplications.
It also partnered with the International Foundation for Election Systems to develop a digital and social media monitoring tool for hate speech.
The CEO shared this during the annual conference of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association-Kenya Chapter.
NIGERIA ALSO EXPLORING
Nigeria’s Independent Electoral Commission in May established a dedicated AI Division in its ICT department.
It said this was a strategic response to the evolving demands of electoral governance in the digital age.
While the INEC and cybersecurity experts hail the move as a leap toward modernisation, civil society groups are questioning whether the foundation of the country’s electoral process is solid enough to support such a technological shift.
“Before we talk about artificial intelligence, we need to talk about human intelligence, the kind that ensures fair play, integrity and accountability in elections,” Nigeria Labour Congress political commission secretary Comrade Asuzu told bird in an interview.
He voiced concern over the timing and priorities of INEC’s announcement, pointing to the contentious 2023 general elections, many of which ended in court battles, as evidence of the deep public distrust in the electoral system.
“If the electoral umpire is compromised, perceived by the public to be unfit to discharge the onerous responsibility of delivering credible elections and solidifying and consolidating democracy, then we are in real trouble,” Asuzu said.
He said an analysis by NGO Yiaga Africa found a regression in Nigeria’s elections after the gains made in 2011 and 2015.
Voter turnout in Nigeria has been declining from historical highs of 69.1 per cent in 2003, 53.7 per cent in 2011 and 43.7 per cent in 2015 to a low of 27.1 per cent in 2023, according to Yiaga Africa.
Electoral participation, it says, is influenced by a complex interplay of political and systemic factors.
In its weekly newsletter, The Ballot, Yiaga said INEC’s landmark step to establish an Artificial Intelligence Division signals ‘a move toward a more technologically advanced electoral system’.
“But will innovation translate into transparency?” Yiaga Africa queried.
INEC official Sam Olumekun said the newly created division puts the commission at the forefront of institutionalising AI capabilities in electoral management.
It is part of its ongoing reforms on electoral processes in areas that only require administrative action by the commission, the national chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee said.
“It will enhance decision-making through data-driven insights, risk management and voter engagement,” Olumekun said in a statement.
“This will strengthen electoral credibility through predictive analytics, automation and intelligent safeguards.”
These sentiments were echoed by Cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure Eng Destiny Young, who projects 2027 could be a landmark year for tech-powered democracy in Nigeria.
“INEC’s new AI Division is a big step towards smarter, more trustworthy elections in Nigeria,” he said in a LinkedIn post.
“It’s an exciting development that could shape the way Nigerians vote for years to come.”
by Conrad Onyango for bird story agency
