Authors : Agwenyi C. A.; Nambiro Alice; Etene Yonah

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 5 - May

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Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/2s4kdvza

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/rf9t84rc

DOI : ttps://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26May801

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Abstract : As Kenya solidifies its role as Africa’s premier technology hub, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its academic research ecosystem presents a dual-front ethical challenge. This paper examines the critical intersection of Authorship Integrity and Data Sovereignty. While AI tools offer unprecedented acceleration in data processing, they also facilitate nuanced forms of "algorithmic plagiarism" and raise significant concerns regarding the extraction of local indigenous knowledge by global models. By analyzing the Kenya National AI Strategy 2025–2030 and recent institutional policy shifts, this study argues that ethics must be treated as a prerequisite rather than an afterthought. The paper concludes with a proposed framework for "Sovereign AI Ethics" tailored to the Kenyan context.

Keywords : AI Ethics, Plagiarism, Data Sovereignty, Silicon Savannah, Kenya, Research Integrity.

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