NAIROBI, Kenya, July 2 – Ministry of Broadcasting and Communications Chief Secretary Stephen Isaboke has urged marketers to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly, saying the value of consumer data is increasing and requires stronger protection as the technology transforms the marketing profession.
Speaking as the guest of honor at the 2026 Marketing Society of Kenya (MSK) Marketers Summit in Nairobi, Isaboke said data has become a strategic asset that can drive innovation, inform business decisions and provide better services, but warned that misuse of data is tantamount to theft.
“Data is now so valuable that if someone else comes along and takes our data and starts commercializing it or using it to inform decision-making, they’ve literally come to steal your stock. They’ve literally come to steal your wealth,” he said.
He said data is increasingly influencing decision-making across sectors such as agriculture, health and commerce, and stressed the need to protect personal information.
“That’s why, for example, countries have set up data protection offices,” he said.
Isaboke called on marketers to develop solutions that leverage AI and consumer insights to improve service delivery and customer experience, noting that technology should be used to solve real-world challenges rather than simply automating processes.
“If you start using it properly and applying it to your space and applying it to your solutions as well… you’re actually contributing to the AI era, which is really about using data to solve problems and ultimately provide solutions,” he said.
Held under the theme ‘The Intelligent Marketer: The Changing Role of Marketing in the Age of AI’, the summit brought together marketers, innovators and business leaders to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping the industry and Kenya’s digital economy.
Kenya Marketing Association President Zuhra Odhiambo said AI is no longer a concept of the future, but a current tool that will change the way businesses understand consumers, build brands and create value.
“This year’s theme, ‘The Intelligent Marketer: The Changing Role of Marketing in the Age of AI,’ could not be more timely. AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it is transforming the way we understand consumers, build brands, deliver customer experiences, and create business value,” she said.
Odhiambo said that while AI is changing the marketing landscape, the core principles of the field remain centered around understanding consumers.
“The fundamentals remain: it’s still about the consumer, consumer preferences, consumer psychometrics, consumer behavior, but consumer behavior is now being tracked and documented and clearly trending,” she said.
The summit comes as Kenya accelerates its digital transformation efforts, with artificial intelligence and data governance expected to play a central role in driving innovation, competitiveness and economic growth.
