Country Profile on AI Governance: Burundi

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. East Africa mean 1.56 · all 54 states mean 1.76.

1. S1.1

   National AI strategy existence

   Score 2 / 4

   National AI Strategy 2025-2030 validated at a national workshop held April 22 2026 in Bujumbura; designed by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Digital Economy with UNDP support; structured around six pillars: governance, ethics/inclusion/sustainability, digital infrastructure, human capital, innovation ecosystem, and international cooperation; aligns with Vision 2040-2060; as of June 2026 the strategy has been validated but awaits formal cabinet adoption

   Note: Strategy validated April 22 2026, a landmark milestone for Burundi; full formal cabinet adoption not yet confirmed as of June 2026; scored 2 as developing, validated but formal adoption pending

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

2. S1.2

   Strategy adoption date

   Score 0 / 4

   National AI Strategy 2025-2030 validated April 22 2026; formal cabinet adoption date not yet confirmed; lawgratis.com (May 2025) confirmed no AI strategy existed as of that date; strategy describes the 2026-2030 implementation period

   Note: Validation date: April 22 2026; formal adoption date: not confirmed; implementation period: 2026-2030; scored 1 as validation occurred but formal adoption not confirmed

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: none (adoption date). No formally adopted national AI strategy.

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

3. S1.3

   Political commitment signals

   Score 2 / 4

   Ms. Francine Inarukundo, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, personally opened the AI strategy validation workshop (April 22 2026); strategy aligned with President Ndayishimiye's macroeconomic stabilisation programme; UNDP partnership signals government-international organisation commitment; Cybercrime Law enacted 2022 (Law 1/10) and Data Protection Law passed January 2026 demonstrate legislative momentum

   Note: Ministerial-level engagement documented at strategy validation; presidential programme alignment noted; scored 2 as formal institutional actions documented

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

4. S1.4

   Dedicated AI budget allocation

   Score 1 / 4

   No ring-fenced AI budget confirmed; UNDP supported AI strategy development; World Bank Burundi Digital Economy Assessment (2020) identified baseline; no multi-year AI budget allocation published; government budget is heavily donor-dependent (ODA approximately 60%+ of public investment)

   Note: AI strategy development funded by UNDP; no domestic AI budget line; scored 1 as nascent

5. S1.5

   AU Continental AI Strategy alignment

   Score 1 / 4

   AU member; National AI Strategy 2025-2030 references Vision 2040-2060 framework; EAC member (East African Community) with Smart Africa Alliance participation; Africa Declaration on AI (Kigali, April 2025), Burundi as AU member likely signatory; no confirmed active AU AI Technical Committee engagement; Malabo Convention: Burundi has neither signed nor ratified

   Note: Passive AU alignment through membership; AI strategy references national development frameworks; no active AU AI alignment process confirmed; Malabo not engaged; scored 1

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

6. S1.6

   Multi-stakeholder consultation

   Score 2 / 4

   AI Strategy validation workshop (April 22 2026) brought together government stakeholders, ministries, UNDP, and private sector representatives; Data Protection Law passed unanimously January 15 2026 after parliamentary consultation; World Bank Digital Economy Assessment (2020) involved multi-stakeholder consultation process

   Note: Formal multi-stakeholder validation workshop documented; parliamentary consultation on data law confirmed; scored 2 as formal consultation with institutional record

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

7. S1.7

   Sector prioritisation

   Score 2 / 4

   National AI Strategy 2025-2030 explicitly identifies health and agriculture as pilot sectors for AI demonstration; six pillars include innovation ecosystem and digital infrastructure; strategy plans pilot projects to demonstrate economic impact; governance and human capital identified as cross-cutting priorities

   Note: Health and agriculture explicitly identified as priority sectors; six-pillar structure shows systematic approach; no standalone sector roadmaps yet; scored 2

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

8. S1.8

   Implementation roadmap

   Score 2 / 4

   National AI Strategy 2025-2030 structured around six pillars with planned implementation 2026-2030; plans to create steering bodies, draft ethical charter, adapt regulatory framework; pilot projects in health and agriculture planned; algorithm oversight mechanisms referenced; no detailed annual milestone accountability framework published

   Note: Six-pillar implementation framework confirmed; phased plan referenced; detailed accountability milestones not yet published; scored 2

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

9. S1.9

   Monitoring and evaluation framework

   Score 1 / 4

   No AI-specific M&E framework published; AI strategy governance pillar includes creation of steering bodies which would include M&E; no active AI governance reporting cycle; PNDTIC 2010-2025 monitoring described as largely aspirational in World Bank assessment

   Note: M&E planned under governance pillar of AI strategy; historical monitoring capacity weak; scored 1

   Sources documents1.worldbank.org (opens in a new tab)

10. S1.10

    Strategy review mechanism

    Score 1 / 4

    AI strategy governance pillar plans to create steering bodies; no formal AI strategy review mechanism gazetted; strategy validated April 2026, too early for review cycle

    Note: Planned under governance pillar; not yet operationally established; scored 1

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. East Africa mean 1.28 · all 54 states mean 1.32.

1. G2.1

   AI-specific legislation

   Score 1 / 4

   No AI-specific law enacted; AI Strategy governance pillar plans to draft an ethical charter and adapt the regulatory framework for AI oversight; as of June 2026 no AI law in formal drafting process; lawgratis.com (May 2025) confirmed no dedicated AI law; strategy plans to introduce algorithm oversight mechanisms

   Note: Under discussion via AI Strategy governance pillar; no law drafted; scored 1 as nascent, planned but pre-legislative

   Sources lawgratis.com (opens in a new tab)

2. G2.2

   Data protection law status

   Score 2 / 4

   Data Protection Law passed unanimously by the National Assembly on January 15 2026; legislation creates an independent administrative authority for data protection oversight; structures data controller obligations across eight chapters; introduces criminal penalties for violations; removes Burundi from the list of African countries without a data protection law; DPA mandated but not yet operationally established as of June 2026

   Note: Law enacted January 15 2026, landmark achievement; DPA mandated but not yet operational; scored 2 as developing, law enacted with DPA establishment pending

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

3. G2.3

   DPA AI mandate

   Score 1 / 4

   Data Protection Law (January 2026) mandates an independent administrative authority; DPA not yet operationally established as of June 2026; no AI-specific mandate confirmed; Cybercrime Law (Law 1/10, March 2022) covers automated data processing in cybercrime context; ARCT (telecom regulator) has limited ICT oversight

   Note: DPA mandated by January 2026 law; not yet operational; no AI mandate; scored 1 as nascent, legal mandate exists without operational body

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

4. G2.4

   DPA staffing and budget

   Score 0 / 4

   DPA not yet operationally established; no published data on staff count, AI competency, or budget; prior to January 2026 law Burundi had no DPA at all (DLA Piper 2025 confirmed 'no national data protection authority in Burundi')

   Note: Cannot assess staffing or budget; DPA not yet established operationally; scored 0

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

5. G2.5

   AI regulatory body existence

   Score 1 / 4

   No dedicated AI regulatory body; ARCT (Agence de Régulation et de Contrôle des Télécommunications) is the sole ICT regulator; AI Strategy governance pillar plans to create AI steering bodies; algorithm oversight mechanisms planned; no dedicated AI governance institution yet

   Note: ICT regulator exists; AI bodies planned under strategy governance pillar; none established yet; scored 1

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

6. G2.6

   Institutional design model

   Score 1 / 4

   Nascent institutional design: ARCT for telecoms; DPA mandated (not operational); AI steering bodies planned under strategy; National AI Strategy 2025-2030 governance pillar describes future institutional architecture

   Note: Institutional design in planning stage through AI strategy; no AI governance model yet operational; scored 1

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

7. G2.7

   Malabo Convention ratification

   Score 0 / 4

   Burundi has neither signed nor ratified the AU Malabo Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection; Burundi does not appear on the AU Malabo Convention signatory or ratification lists as of July 2024

   Note: No engagement with Malabo Convention; scored 0, critical gap for a country now enacting data protection law

   Sources en.wikipedia.org (opens in a new tab)

8. G2.8

   Enforcement actions taken

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-specific or data protection enforcement actions documented; DPA not yet operational; prior to January 2026 law no data protection enforcement existed; ARCT has telecom sector enforcement capacity but no AI enforcement

   Note: Law too new for enforcement; DPA not operational; scored 0

9. G2.9

   Extraterritorial provisions

   Score 1 / 4

   Cybercrime Law (Law 1/10, March 2022) defines personal data and covers cybercrime including unauthorised access to data systems; no confirmed extraterritorial provisions for foreign AI systems processing Burundian data in the new Data Protection Law

   Note: Cybercrime Law covers data in cybercrime context; data protection law scope not yet fully published; scored 1 as nascent

   Sources dlapiperdataprotection.com (opens in a new tab)

10. G2.10

    IP framework for AI

    Score 0 / 4

    No IP legislation review for AI-generated content identified; OAPI-equivalent or national IP authority has no confirmed AI work

    Note: Scored 0

Mean of the 8 scored indicators; 2 carry no score. East Africa mean 1.54 · all 54 states mean 1.51.

No score: 1 not applicable, 1 context only.

1. I3.1

   Data center count

   Score 0 / 4

   No commercial Tier-rated data center confirmed in Burundi; Burundi Backbone System (BBS) includes some server infrastructure at government level; EAC/Smart Africa shared infrastructure programs; no national data center equivalent to neighboring Rwanda or Kenya

   Note: Basic government ICT infrastructure exists; no commercial Tier DC; scored 1 as nascent

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (data centres). Raw value read from the evidence: "No commercial Tier-rated data center confirmed in Burundi" [absence of confirmed commercial DC]. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

2. I3.2

   Data center capacity (MW)

   Score 0 / 4

   No published MW capacity data; no Tier-rated data center

   Note: Scored 0

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

3. I3.3

   Submarine cable landing points

   ○N/A: Does not apply to this country

   Burundi is landlocked; connects to global internet via EASSy submarine cable (through Tanzania) and SEACOM (via 10-year TTCL deal since 2019); no direct submarine cable landing point; international capacity approximately 7.1 Gbps total (~2.3 Gbps actually used); Burundi-Zambia underwater fibre MoU signed October 2024 at Digital Government Africa Summit

   Note: Landlocked country; indirect submarine cable access via Tanzania (EASSy) and TTCL/SEACOM; Burundi-Zambia MoU is new bilateral connectivity initiative; scored 1 as nascent, indirect access only

   Scoring basis Not applicable; excluded from the pillar mean. Landlocked: excluded from P3 (geography is not governance).

   Sources ts2.tech (opens in a new tab)

4. I3.4

   International bandwidth (Gbps)

   Score 1 / 4

   Internet penetration approximately 12.5% (1.78 million users, January 2025, Digital Watch/DataReportal); 8.04 million mobile connections (56.6% of population); 2G coverage 97%, 3G 50%, 4G approximately 34% (2025); total international bandwidth 7.1 Gbps with only 2.3 Gbps used; electricity production 118 MW (2025, up from 47 MW in 2020) but reliability challenges persist; Burundi Backbone System (BBS) 1,245 km fibre optic network connects all 18 provinces; Starlink being trialed

   Note: 12.5% penetration is among the lowest in East Africa; BBS provides national fibre backbone; international bandwidth very constrained; scored 1 as nascent, infrastructure exists but severely limited

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. 7.1 Gbps ÷ 14.05m = 0.51 Gbps per million.

   Sources dig.watch (opens in a new tab)

5. I3.5

   Hyperscaler presence

   Score 0 / 4

   No confirmed AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or other hyperscaler local infrastructure; small market and infrastructure constraints preclude hyperscaler investment; Burundi relies on regional cloud services in Kenya and Rwanda

   Note: Scored 0

6. I3.6

   GPU/HPC access

   Score 0 / 4

   No national HPC or GPU facility confirmed; University of Burundi (UB) and other universities have very limited computing resources; no academic AI computing infrastructure

   Note: Scored 0

7. I3.7

   Data localisation provisions

   Score 1 / 4

   Data Protection Law (January 2026) includes data transfer provisions; prior DLA Piper assessment noted 'no geographic transfer restrictions apply in Burundi'; new law not yet fully implementing; Cybercrime Law 2022 covers data in digital systems context

   Note: New data protection law mandates DPA oversight of transfers; prior to January 2026 no restrictions applied; scored 1 as nascent, legal framework just enacted

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

8. I3.8

   Cross-border data flow framework

   Score 1 / 4

   Data Protection Law (January 2026) will govern cross-border data flows; EAC regional digital framework applies; no bilateral AI-specific data flow agreements; prior law had no transfer restrictions

   Note: New law creates cross-border governance basis; EAC regional framework; scored 1

   Sources cadeproject.org (opens in a new tab)

9. I3.9

   Foreign AI surveillance spending

   ○Context only: Context flag outside the score

   No documented government spending on foreign AI surveillance systems; Freedom in the Net documents internet disruptions during elections but no AI surveillance procurement confirmed

   Note: Scored 0

   Scoring basis Context flag; outside the score. Raw value read from the evidence: "No documented government spending on foreign AI surveillance systems".

10. I3.10

    Sovereign cloud initiatives

    Score 0 / 4

    No national sovereign cloud initiative; AI strategy infrastructure pillar includes plans for digital infrastructure; no operational sovereign cloud or government DC confirmed

    Note: Scored 0, planned but not yet initiated

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. East Africa mean 1.18 · all 54 states mean 1.20.

1. H4.1

   AI researchers per million

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI researchers affiliated with Burundian institutions identified; Digital Watch Observatory notes Oxford Insights 2025 AI Readiness Index Technology Sector score: 18.95 for Burundi, one of the lowest; University of Burundi has very limited STEM research capacity; no per-million AI researcher count confirmable

   Note: Technology sector score 18.95 is extremely low; no AI researchers identified; scored 0

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (AI researchers per million). Raw value read from the evidence: "No AI researchers affiliated with Burundian institutions identified" [absence statement; also "no per-million AI researcher count confirmable"]. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

   Sources dig.watch (opens in a new tab)

2. H4.2

   DPA staff with AI competency

   Score 0 / 4

   DPA not yet operationally established; no data on AI-competent regulatory staff; ARCT has limited ICT regulatory staff

   Note: Cannot assess; scored 0

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

3. H4.3

   University AI programs

   Score 0 / 4

   University of Burundi (UB) has a Faculty of Sciences and Technology; Hope Africa University and other private institutions; AI Strategy human capital pillar explicitly aims to strengthen digital education and AI literacy; no confirmed dedicated AI or ML degree programme; World Bank Digital Economy Assessment (2020) identified digital skills as a critical gap

   Note: University infrastructure exists; AI human capital pillar in strategy; no dedicated AI programme confirmed; scored 1

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (universities). Raw value read from the evidence: "no confirmed dedicated AI or ML degree programme". Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

4. H4.4

   African-authored AI publications

   Score 1 / 4

   No AI-related academic publications from Burundian-affiliated authors identified; very limited STEM research output nationally

   Note: Scored 0

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. 4.3 papers/yr ÷ 14.05m people = 0.31 per million (floors applied). Raw value read from the evidence: "No AI-related academic publications from Burundian-affiliated authors identified" [source used: not named]. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

5. H4.5

   AI patents filed

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-related patents filed by Burundian-affiliated inventors

   Note: Scored 0

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (AI patent applications/year).

6. H4.6

   K-12 CS education

   Score 1 / 4

   AI Strategy human capital pillar includes integrating local languages in digital tools and promoting digital literacy; Universal Service Fund rolling out 4G to 178 rural communities (target 786,000 additional residents, 2025-2026); no confirmed mandatory K-12 AI/CS curriculum; PNDTIC 2010-2025 referenced digital literacy as a goal

   Note: Digital literacy referenced in AI strategy; 4G rural rollout supports access; no mandatory CS curriculum; scored 1

   Sources ts2.tech (opens in a new tab)

7. H4.7

   AI workforce training programs

   Score 1 / 4

   AI Strategy human capital pillar plans to strengthen digital education, data engineering, and AI engineering capacity; no confirmed government-funded AI reskilling programme; ITU and Smart Africa EAC partnerships provide some capacity building

   Note: Human capital pillar in AI strategy; no confirmed operational programme yet; scored 1

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

8. H4.8

   Labour transition policy

   Score 0 / 4

   No formal government framework for AI and labour market transition; no assessment commissioned

   Note: Scored 0

9. H4.9

   Informal economy AI assessment

   Score 0 / 4

   No government assessment of AI's impact on the informal economy; informal sector is very large in Burundi

   Note: Scored 0

10. H4.10

    African language NLP coverage

    Score 0 / 4

    Kirundi (national language) and French (official) are spoken nationally; French has strong NLP coverage through global models; Kirundi has very limited NLP coverage, some research efforts but no significant corpus or AI tools; AI Strategy human capital pillar explicitly mentions 'integrating local languages in digital tools' as a goal

    Note: French NLP coverage through global models; Kirundi minimally covered; AI strategy explicitly targets local language integration; scored 1 as nascent, French coverage and strategy commitment

    Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 of 1 (languages supported / major languages), normalised 0. 0% of major domestic languages. Raw value read from the evidence: "Kirundi has very limited NLP coverage" [denominator (set by the editors, not taken from the profile text): Kirundi]. Listed for second-edition review: The Thresholds sheet lists Kirundi as covered by NLLB-200, which gives 1 of 1. The count used follows the profile text.

    Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. East Africa mean 0.97 · all 54 states mean 1.05.

1. N5.1

   AI companies count

   Score 0 / 4

   Very nascent tech ecosystem; small number of tech startups in Bujumbura; mobile money (Lumicash, EcoCash/Econet Leo, Onatel) represents most advanced digital commercial sector; no confirmed AI companies; AI Strategy innovation ecosystem pillar aims to develop startup support

   Note: Mobile money is most advanced digital sector; no dedicated AI companies; scored 1 as nascent, mobile digital ecosystem exists

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (companies). Raw value read from the evidence: "no confirmed AI companies" [directory used: none]. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

2. N5.2

   Private AI investment (USD)

   Score 0 / 4

   No private AI investment documented; FDI very limited; political and economic constraints limit investment; no venture capital for AI confirmed

   Note: Investment climate severely constrained; scored 0

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (USD/year). Raw value read from the evidence: "No private AI investment documented". Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

3. N5.3

   AI incubators/accelerators

   Score 0 / 4

   Bujumbura has a small innovation community; some tech co-working spaces; no confirmed dedicated AI incubator or accelerator; AI Strategy innovation ecosystem pillar plans to develop these; Smart Africa Alliance membership provides EAC-level incubation access

   Note: Small but emerging Bujumbura innovation community; AI incubator planned in strategy; not yet established; scored 1

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (incubators/accelerators). Raw value read from the evidence: "no confirmed dedicated AI incubator or accelerator". Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

4. N5.4

   Regulatory sandbox (AI)

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI regulatory sandbox identified; no fintech sandbox despite growing mobile money sector; ARCT has no sandbox programme

   Note: Scored 0

5. N5.5

   Government AI procurement

   Score 1 / 4

   Government engaged in 4G rural rollout (Universal Service Fund for 178 rural communities); Burundian government procures ICT systems through ARCT-regulated operators; no formal AI procurement preference policy; AI Strategy plans to use pilot projects in health and agriculture

   Note: Nascent government digital procurement; AI pilots planned; no formal AI preference policy; scored 1

   Sources ts2.tech (opens in a new tab)

6. N5.6

   AI safety evaluation capacity

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI safety testing or evaluation facility; ARCT has no AI safety mandate; no academic AI research capability for safety evaluation

   Note: Scored 0

7. N5.7

   ISO/IEC 42001 adoption

   Score 0 / 4

   No ISO/IEC 42001 adoption; national standards body capacity very limited

   Note: Scored 0

8. N5.8

   Standards body AI competency

   Score 0 / 4

   National standards body (BBN - Bureau Burundais de Normalisation) exists; no confirmed AI-specific technical committee

   Note: Standards body exists; AI capacity absent; scored 0

9. N5.9

   AI risk assessment frameworks

   Score 1 / 4

   Data Protection Law (January 2026) creates a legal basis for risk assessment of data processing; AI Strategy governance pillar plans to introduce algorithm oversight mechanisms; no standalone AI risk assessment framework

   Note: Algorithm oversight planned in strategy; data law creates partial risk basis; no framework yet; scored 1

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

10. N5.10

    University-industry AI partnerships

    Score 0 / 4

    No formal university-industry AI partnerships; University of Burundi has no documented private sector AI collaboration

    Note: Scored 0

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. East Africa mean 1.16 · all 54 states mean 1.26.

1. E6.1

   Algorithmic impact assessment

   Score 1 / 4

   Data Protection Law (January 2026) implicitly requires oversight of automated data processing; AI Strategy ethics/inclusion/sustainability pillar plans to introduce algorithm oversight mechanisms; no standalone AIA requirement yet

   Note: AIA planned in AI strategy ethics pillar; data law creates partial basis; no AIA requirement yet; scored 1

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

2. E6.2

   Bias audit requirements

   Score 1 / 4

   AI Strategy ethics/inclusion/sustainability pillar explicitly plans to introduce algorithm oversight mechanisms and promote responsible AI; no regulatory instrument enacted yet; strategy commitment is documented

   Note: Algorithm oversight explicitly planned in strategy; not yet regulatory; scored 1 as nascent, formal strategy commitment

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

3. E6.3

   Transparency obligations

   Score 1 / 4

   Data Protection Law (January 2026) includes data subject rights and transparency obligations for data controllers; AI Strategy ethics pillar references responsible AI and transparency; no AI-specific transparency obligation beyond data law

   Note: Data law transparency provisions enacted January 2026; AI transparency planned; scored 1

   Sources cadeproject.org (opens in a new tab)

4. E6.4

   Citizen redress mechanism

   Score 1 / 4

   Data Protection Law (January 2026) creates an independent DPA with complaint and enforcement mandate; DPA not yet operational; courts nominally available; no confirmed functioning redress mechanism yet given DPA non-operational status

   Note: Data law mandates DPA complaint mechanism; DPA not yet operational; scored 1 as nascent, legal pathway exists

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

5. E6.5

   Judicial AI remedy

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-specific judicial precedent documented; courts exist but limited capacity; no AI jurisdiction established

   Note: Scored 0

6. E6.6

   AI advisory body diversity

   Score 1 / 4

   No formal AI advisory body; AI Strategy governance pillar plans to create steering bodies; validation workshop (April 2026) included multi-stakeholder representation; no permanent mechanism yet

   Note: Planned under strategy governance pillar; scored 1

7. E6.7

   Global AI governance participation

   Score 2 / 4

   EAC member and Smart Africa Alliance participant; AU member; UNDP partner for AI strategy development; AI Strategy international cooperation pillar commits to global engagement; AI Strategy explicitly references international alignment; Africa Declaration on AI (Kigali, April 2025), Burundi as AU member likely participant

   Note: UNDP partnership for AI strategy; EAC/Smart Africa active; AU membership; scored 2 as developing

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

8. E6.8

   Civil society AI engagement

   Score 2 / 4

   AI Strategy validation workshop (April 2026) included civil society stakeholders; Data Protection Law passed unanimously suggests broad parliamentary support; World Bank Digital Economy Assessment included civil society; UNDP partnership development process involved diverse stakeholders

   Note: Formal multi-stakeholder validation process documented; civil society engagement confirmed; scored 2

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

9. E6.9

   African ethical framework reference

   Score 1 / 4

   AI Strategy ethics/inclusion/sustainability pillar explicitly includes sustainability goals and cultural context; local language integration referenced; no formal African ethical framework (Ubuntu, etc.) specifically named but African value context implied

   Note: Ethics and sustainability pillar in strategy; local language integration planned; no formal African ethical framework named; scored 1

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

10. E6.10

    Youth participation

    Score 1 / 4

    AI Strategy ethics/inclusion/sustainability pillar includes sustainability and inclusion goals; no formal youth AI governance mechanism; Universal Service Fund 4G rollout targets rural communities including youth; validation workshop included youth stakeholders

    Note: Inclusion referenced in strategy; no formal youth advisory mechanism; scored 1

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. East Africa mean 1.54 · all 54 states mean 1.55.

1. R7.1

   AU AI Strategy alignment

   Score 2 / 4

   AU member; National AI Strategy references Vision 2040-2060 which aligns with AU Agenda 2063; EAC membership with digital integration framework; UNDP partnership for AI strategy aligns with AU/UN AI governance processes; Africa Declaration on AI (Kigali, April 2025), Burundi as AU member

   Note: Passive AU alignment through membership and AI strategy Vision 2040-2060 reference; UNDP partnership; scored 2

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

2. R7.2

   Kigali Declaration endorsement

   Score 3 / 4

   Africa Declaration on AI (Kigali, April 2025) signed by 49 African countries; Burundi as AU member and as neighbour to Rwanda likely participated; individual endorsement not separately confirmed from public sources

   Note: Likely participant; not confirmed; scored 1

   Scoring basis Official signatory list applied. Signatory of the Africa Declaration on AI (Kigali, 4 April 2025), C4IR list: "Endorsed" = 3.

   Sources c4ir.rw (opens in a new tab)

3. R7.3

   REC AI governance coordination

   Score 2 / 4

   EAC member (East African Community), active digital integration framework; Smart Africa Alliance member; Burundi-Zambia underwater fibre MoU signed October 2024; EAC One Area Network telecoms initiative; AI Strategy international cooperation pillar commits to regional engagement; ECCAS member

   Note: Active EAC and Smart Africa participation; bilateral Zambia fibre MoU; AI strategy regional pillar; scored 2

   Sources cbinsights.com (opens in a new tab)

4. R7.4

   Cross-border AI agreements

   Score 1 / 4

   EAC regional digital framework provides cross-border governance basis; Burundi-Zambia fibre MoU (October 2024) is a bilateral digital cooperation agreement; no bilateral AI governance agreements; Malabo Convention not engaged

   Note: EAC framework + bilateral fibre MoU; no AI-specific agreements; scored 1

   Sources cbinsights.com (opens in a new tab)

5. R7.5

   Election integrity AI provisions

   Score 0 / 4

   No specific legal provisions addressing AI in elections; CENI (national electoral commission) has no documented AI framework; internet disruptions during elections documented by digital rights organisations

   Note: Scored 0

6. R7.6

   Disinformation response framework

   Score 0 / 4

   No formal government framework for AI-generated disinformation; Cybercrime Law (2022) covers some digital offences but no AI disinformation framework

   Note: Scored 0

7. R7.7

   AI election incidents documented

   Score 1 / 4

   No publicly documented AI-related election interference incidents; internet disruptions during elections documented but not AI-specific

   Note: Scored 0

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 1 (rule band). Scored on documented institutional response, not incident count. Raw value read from the evidence: "No publicly documented AI-related election interference incidents" [incidents: 0; R7.6 Cybercrime Law (2022) = general capacity]. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

8. R7.8

   Platform content moderation

   Score 0 / 4

   No formal government engagement with social media platforms on AI content moderation; very low internet penetration (12.5%) limits platform governance priority

   Note: Scored 0

9. R7.9

   Geneva Dialogue participation

   Score 1 / 4

   AI Strategy international cooperation pillar explicitly commits to global and regional AI governance engagement; UNDP partnership provides UN system access; no confirmed specific delegation to July 2026 UN AI Dialogue

   Note: International cooperation pillar in strategy; UNDP provides UN system access; no confirmed specific delegation; scored 1

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

10. R7.10

    G20/multilateral AI engagement

    Score 1 / 4

    Not G20 or BRICS member; EAC and Smart Africa are most active digital governance frameworks; AI Strategy international cooperation pillar; UNDP partnership; AU membership; limited diplomatic capacity for AI governance multilateralism

    Note: EAC and Smart Africa active; no leadership role in AI governance; scored 1

    Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. East Africa mean 0.94 · all 54 states mean 0.78.

1. M8.1

   AI governance budget disbursed

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI governance budget disbursed; UNDP supported AI strategy development (value not disclosed); no domestic government AI budget confirmed; government budget heavily donor-dependent

   Note: Scored 0

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (USD).

2. M8.2

   Health AI regulation

   Score 1 / 4

   No health AI regulation enacted; AI Strategy explicitly plans pilot projects in healthcare as a demonstration sector; AI Strategy health pillar references AI for service improvement; no health AI governance instrument adopted

   Note: Health identified as AI pilot sector in strategy; no governance instrument; scored 1

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

3. M8.3

   Health AI devices approved

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI health device approval mechanism; healthcare relies on international NGOs (MSF, etc.) and WHO support; no AI medical device regulatory pathway

   Note: Scored 0

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

4. M8.4

   Government AI system registry

   Score 0 / 4

   No government registry of AI systems in use; e-government very nascent

   Note: Scored 0

5. M8.5

   AI governance M&E reports

   Score 0 / 4

   National AI Strategy validation (April 2026) is a governance assessment document; World Bank Digital Economy Assessment (2020) provides historical baseline; no government AI governance M&E report published

   Note: Strategy validation as governance milestone; no M&E report; scored 1

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (reports).

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

6. M8.6

   Agriculture AI governance

   Score 1 / 4

   AI Strategy explicitly plans pilot projects in agriculture as a demonstration sector; Universal Service Fund 4G rural rollout supports agricultural connectivity; no formal agri-AI governance framework; World Bank identifies agriculture as key potential AI sector

   Note: Agriculture identified as AI pilot sector; connectivity improving for rural areas; no governance framework; scored 1

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

7. M8.7

   Financial services AI governance

   Score 0 / 4

   BRB (Banque de la République du Burundi, central bank) has no confirmed AI guidance for financial services; mobile money (Lumicash, EcoCash) growing without AI governance framework; no standalone AI financial governance

   Note: Mobile money active without AI governance; scored 0

8. M8.8

   Education AI governance

   Score 1 / 4

   AI Strategy human capital pillar references digital education; Universal Service Fund 4G rollout supports school connectivity; no standalone AI education policy; UNICEF and international partners support education digitisation

   Note: Digital education referenced in strategy; 4G school connectivity improving; no AI education policy; scored 1

   Sources wearetech.africa (opens in a new tab)

9. M8.9

   Measurable governance outcomes

   Score 1 / 4

   Data Protection Law passed January 2026, a measurable governance outcome after years of gap; National AI Strategy validated April 2026, a second measurable governance milestone; both represent documented governance outcomes; no AI-specific deployment outcomes

   Note: Two landmark governance milestones in January-April 2026; no AI deployment outcomes; scored 1

   Sources techafricanews.com (opens in a new tab)

10. M8.10

    WHO AI health guidance adoption

    Score 0 / 4

    No formal adoption of WHO Ethics and Governance of AI for Health guidance; WHO operates health programmes in Burundi but no AI health governance alignment confirmed

    Note: Scored 0