Kenya’s stock exchange plans East Africa’s first AI-focused ETF

The Nairobi Securities Exchange is quietly positioning itself to launch what would be East Africa’s first AI-focused exchange-traded fund, a move that would mark a significant leap for a market that only listed its second-ever ETF in July 2025. For context, the NSE has listed exactly two ETFs in its entire history: the Barclays NewGold ETF in 2017, and the Satrix MSCI World Feeder ETF last year. An AI-themed fund would not just be a new product. It would be a statement about where Kenya’s capital markets are headed. The bigger picture behind one ETF The NSE’s 2025 to 2029 strategic framework explicitly names AI and blockchain as technologies the exchange wants to incorporate into its financial product lineup. The plan targets 50 diverse funds across that period. Kenya’s government is moving in the same direction. The National AI Strategy, covering 2025 through 2030, was launched in early 2025 with a focus on deploying AI across healthcare, agriculture, and productivity. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed the IVYA ETF in March 2026, an actively managed fund giving South African investors access to global AI companies. Why the NSE’s timing makes sense The exchange’s market perfor...