The Lawyers Hub, in collaboration with the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and the Uganda Law Society, recently hosted a webinar titled "Examining the Kenya & Uganda Copyright Bills". The session provided a critical analysis of how East Africa is navigating the complex intersection of artificial intelligence and intellectual property. Moderated by Linda Bonyo, Founder and CEO of Lawyers Hub, the panel featured insights from policymakers, researchers, and creators.

Sseruwagi Martin George, a Regulation Officer at the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, discussed the recently enacted Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which officially passed on March 17, 2026. He pointed out that the new legislation intentionally lacks specific provisions for artificial intelligence. The Ugandan government chose to defer integrating AI into its copyright law until the National AI Taskforce, which was formed around 2023, completes a comprehensive National AI Policy.

While Uganda waits for a broader policy, Intellectual Property Law Researcher Chebet Koros highlighted the immediate friction between current copyright laws and AI innovation in Africa. She illustrated this by citing the Masakhane group's effort to create African language datasets. The group attempted to use data from the Jehovah's Witnesses website, but restrictive copyright notices prohibiting text and data mining ultimately prevented them from utilizing the information, demonstrating how existing IP frameworks can stall regional AI development.

Conversely, Dan Aceda, a Musician and Board Member at the Kenya Copyright Board, emphasized the existential threat AI poses to artists and their livelihoods. He noted that AI platforms currently ingest millions of copyrighted songs to train their models without compensating the original creators, a trend he warned is gradually erasing the concept of IP ownership. To better protect creators, Aceda strongly advocated for the specialized copyright tribunals proposed in Kenya's 2026 Bill. He explained that while current IP cases in the High Court can take five to six years to resolve, these new tribunals could cut that timeline down to just a few months.

You can watch the full recording of the webinar and hear all the insights from the session below.

We are absolutely overjoyed to announce that our visionary Founder and CEO, Linda Bonyo, has been presented with a distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award by the Uganda Law Society.

The award was officially presented in Kampala, Uganda, on March 12, 2026, by the President of the Uganda Law Society, Isaac K. Ssemakadde, S.C.

A Powerful Citation of Impact

This prestigious honor is a testament to Linda's relentless dedication to shaping the future of jurisprudence on the continent. The official citation on the award beautifully encapsulates the scope of her contribution:

"In recognition of your remarkable contributions to digital law, technology policy, and the advancement of innovation and regulatory dialogue across Africa."

For the entire team at Lawyers Hub, this award confirms what we see every day: Linda is not just a leader; she is an architect of Africa's digital rule of law.

Bridging the Gap: The Vision for Lawyers Hub

The journey to this award began with a realization. In her acceptance speech, Linda reflected on founding Lawyers Hub in late 2017. Following the Kenyan elections, she observed a critical expertise gap. While the nation discussed digital evidence, few legal professionals actually understood the technology at its core.

Linda set out to fill that void, formally establishing Lawyers Hub in 2018. Drawing inspiration from hubs like Station F in France, she began traveling the continent to build capacity, making sure lawyers were not left behind as AI, data policies, and digital identity became central to society.

Grace Under Pressure: Building Policy from a Hospital Bed

What makes this achievement truly remarkable—and what Linda spoke about most movingly—is the sheer resilience that has underpinned her success. In 2021, in the middle of Lawyers Hub’s rapid growth, Linda was diagnosed with blood cancer.

She shared that many of the milestones listed in her career citation were achieved despite grueling medical treatments.

• The Africa Data Policy Framework: Linda recounted drafting this landmark framework—the only comprehensive data governing policy for the continent—from her hospital bed in India. She attended critical policy meetings while undergoing chemotherapy, illustrating an unparalleled commitment to public service.

• The UN General Assembly: When Linda spoke at the UNGA for the first time, she arrived straight from a hospital bed. She stood before presidents and ministers to advocate for startups and small businesses, highlighting that technology was already being weaponized against African interests by major Western tech firms.

Her message was clear: whatever is in your heart, there is grace and strength sufficient to do it, even when you are strange or different.

A Call to "Show Up": Mentorship and the Next Generation

Linda dedicated a significant portion of her speech to empowering other women. She urged women professionals to stop letting self-doubt, societal pressure, or cosmetic concerns keep them from the table.

Quoting an early mentor, Joy Mdivo, she humorously but sharply reminded women that they must always look ready so they don’t miss opportunities to speak. “Show up and occupy that space,” she urged. “Don’t think about your accent; you’re going to learn on the way up.”

She concluded with a challenge to established women leaders: be an alliance, open doors, and don’t be gatekeepers. Echoing Michelle Obama, she stated: 

"When a door is open for you, don’t shut it, put your foot in there and make sure other women who are doing this work are actually public intellectual influencers."

Looking Ahead

This award is not an endpoint for Linda; it is an affirmation to continue pushing boundaries. The whole Lawyers Hub family extends its deepest gratitude to the Uganda Law Society for recognizing Linda’s tireless efforts.

We are so proud to serve under her leadership. Please join us in congratulating Linda Bonyo on this magnificent, lifetime achievement.

Join Us in Nairobi

As mentioned by Linda in her speech, the conversation continues. We invite you to join us for the 7th Edition of the Africa Law Tech Festival, happening in Nairobi, Kenya, on August 9th and 10th. Let’s continue to make the digital age work for Africa.