Kenyans will in future start getting real-time responses on inquiries about government services around the clock in a planned upgrade of the e-Citizen platform through use of artificial intelligence.
President William Ruto says investment in AI capabilities will be the next phase of investment in the digital platform which offers “20,855 government services to about 13 million active users”.
Organisations around the world are increasingly adopting conversational AI applications such as chatbots to handle routine customer inquiries, freeing up workers in contact centres to handle more complex issues which require specific responses.
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the next frontier, and we are already witnessing its transformative potential. AI offers opportunities to reimagine service delivery, enhance transparency, and create smarter systems,” Dr Ruto said during commemoration of the first anniversary of the relaunched e-Citizen platform.
“For instance, an AI-powered chatbot on eCitizen could provide instant solutions to inquiries, reducing wait times and minimising opportunities for fraud.”
A WhatsApp Chatbot is an artificial intelligence-enabled computer programme that simulates text-based human conversation via the messaging platform.
The AI backed chatbots can automatically respond to various customer communications and can be integrated via the WhatsApp Business platform, which allows businesses to communicate with their customers in the app.
The government has in recent years been moving services to an online portal, the e-Citizen, in a bid to improve efficiency and seal loopholes for bribery and other forms of corruption.
Some of the key State departments and agencies which have moved most of their services to e-Citizen include the Immigration and Citizen Services Department, the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Business Registration Service, the National Safety and Transport Authority, the Kenya Wildlife Services, Kenya Ports Authority and Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK).
Conversational AI solutions are usually programmed to guide customers through a personalised set of questions to understand their needs and offer appropriate responses.
They are integrated with other data sources, enabling them to retrieve the history of services a client has applied or inquired about and give feedback on status. This enables them to provide round-the-clock support, handling a volume of inquiries, and improving efficiency.
“With AI, we can move from reactive to proactive service delivery, anticipating the needs of citizens and designing solutions that meet their expectations,” Dr Ruto said.
“By responsibly leveraging public data, we can shift from citizen-centred approaches to citizen-driven solutions, ensuring that our services meet the unique needs of every Kenyan.”
The Treasury says the e-Citizen has helped it have increased visibility of official payments through the single pay bill for most services on-boarded on the platform.
This has helped non-tax such as charges on government services reach a record Sh65.32 billion in the three-month period ended September, Treasury’s monthly exchequer disclosures show, a 183 percent jump over Sh23.08 billion a year earlier.
‘Revenue collections through the platform have grown significantly, enabling the government to mobilise critical resources for public projects,” the President says.
“ECitizen is not just a digital service delivery platform; it represents a paradigm shift that has redefined public service delivery in Kenya and profoundly impacted lives.”
