Data Controllers and Processors in the country have been asked to register their services with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
Data Controllers are entities that determine the purposes and means of processing personal data while data processors are entities that process personal data on behalf of data controllers.
Principal Data Protection Officer Abdullahi Ali said data processors must ensure that personal data is processed in a lawful and reasonable manner and without infringing the privacy rights of the data subjects.
He also urged organizations to train critical employees who are responsible for data collection and storage on data privacy and protection in compliance with data privacy and protection act.
The officer said data protection legislations are not crafted in any way to punish Wananchi but rather to create awareness so that people will be accountable to one another whether as data controllers or processors.
Speaking in Kwale County during an awareness outreach program by the Office of the Data Commissioner, Ali said processing of personal data should be necessary, relevant and not excessive.
The sensitization forum brought together representatives from the government, institutions, private sector, civil societies, the media and the general public.
“Data controllers should undertake necessary steps to ensure the integrity and security of personal data that it collects and processes,” he said, adding that they should not retain personal data for a period longer than is necessary for the purpose for which the data is collected.
He urged Data controllers and processors to show accountability and compliance with Data Protection Act 2019.
Ali said the new Act sets out the rules and principles governing the collection, use, disclosure and care for personal data or information by a data controller or processor.
Kwale Assistant County Commissioner Beatrice Odira said compliance with the Data Protection Act applies to all public and private institutions hence the need to take it seriously.
Odera welcomed the efforts by the Data Commissioner in awareness creation at a time of increased use of technology in the global cyberspace.
Chimvua Kombo, Principal Administrative Secretary, County Government of Kwale said the devolved unit will prioritize data protection and respect others privacy in accordance with the Data Privacy and Protection Act 2019 to avoid non-compliance.
He said the county administration will go out of its way to protect the privacy of the individual and personal data by regulating the processing of personal information.
Meanwhile, in Kilifi the Data Protection Commission has in conjunction with the Kenya School of Government (KSG) developed a curriculum on data protection to create more awareness among stakeholders.
The curriculum which is under implementation will also be taught in some selected institutions aimed at empowering data controllers, data processors and data subjects on the regulations to comply with personal data protection.
Speaking during a similar sensitization forum on the Data Privacy and Protection Act (DPA) 2019, Ali said the commission intends to create more awareness on the importance of personal data protection laws.
“Among the responsibilities of the commission is to establish the legal and institutional mechanism to protect personal data,” said Ali.
He added that Kenya is among 36 out of 54 African countries that have data protection laws and regulations and added that the constitution of Kenya, 2010 guarantees the rights of privacy as a fundamental right.
Addressing the forum, Kilifi Assistant County Commissioner Ms. Miskey Ahmed welcomed the initiative by the Data Protection Commission to sensitize Kenyans on the laws protecting personal data.
Ahmed urged data controllers, processors and other stakeholders to take advantage of the on-going countrywide awareness campaign to acquaint themselves with Data Privacy and Protection Act 2019 and strictly adhere to its requirements.
By Mohamed Hassan
