Unguja. Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi has urged African governments to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to improve public administration without surrendering human judgement, wisdom or accountability to technology.
Dr Mwinyi made the remarks on Monday, November 9, 2026, in a speech read on his behalf by First Vice-President Othman Masoud Othman, during the opening of the 11th Annual General Meeting of the Africa Public Service Human Resource Managers Network (APS-HRMNET) in Unguja.
The four-day conference brought together 1,140 participants from 21 African countries to discuss the theme: ‘Enabling Strategic Human Resource Transformation in Public Service Using Artificial Intelligence.’
‘We cannot have an efficient government without having efficient employees. Nor can we have institutions providing quality services without having people with professionalism, discipline, integrity, and commitment to serving citizens,’ said Dr Mwinyi.
He said that while AI was rapidly transforming administrative operations, data analysis, document preparation and records management, it should remain an operational tool rather than a substitute for human judgement.
‘Artificial Intelligence should serve as a tool to help public servants work more efficiently and not replace the thought, wisdom, professionalism, and accountability of leaders and employees in decision-making,’ he stressed.
Dr Mwinyi warned that the integration of AI into public administration must comply with existing legal frameworks, protect citizens’ rights and uphold cybersecurity and transparency standards.
He urged human resource managers across the continent to move beyond routine administrative duties, including recruitment, payroll processing and leave management, and become strategic partners in institutional planning and skills forecasting.
Highlighting Africa’s demographic advantage, the Zanzibar leader said the continent had a large pool of technology-savvy young people whose innovative potential should be harnessed to advance the development targets of Agenda 2063.
‘The main objective of digital transformation is not merely having abundant technology, but building governments that operate more efficiently and deliver quality services promptly,’ added Dr Mwinyi, urging delegates to develop practical and measurable regional resolutions.
Echoing the President’s position, Minister of State in the President’s Office (Public Service Management and Good Governance) in the Union government, Mr Ridhiwani Kikwete, said AI could simplify service delivery but should not override statutory regulations or human oversight.
‘While machines can assist, final decisions and accountability remain with human beings,’ said Mr Kikwete.
Similarly, African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) President John Nakabago said technology could not replicate human empathy and institutional ethics.
‘AI is changing institutional performance, but it cannot and will never replace human beings because it lacks emotions,’ said Dr Nakabago, urging human resource executives to maintain a people-centred approach that prioritises data protection and public accountability.