Tana River Governor Godhana Dhadho has called for concerted efforts to enhance the digital security system against the growing threat of cybercrime.
Dhadho said public institutions must safeguard personal data collected from the public to provide services.
He said the Constitution of Kenya 2010, under Article 31 recognizes the right to privacy which is also protected in the Data Protection Act, 2019.
The Governor said this at Zuri Hotel in Hola during the sensitization of the public and county staff on Data Protection.
In a speech read on his behalf by the County Chief of Staff Maurice Osano, the Governor said the office of the Data Protection Commission faces myriads of challenges given the many data controllers and processes.
“It is common knowledge that most of the data with data controllers end up being misused by people with ill motives,” said Dhadho.
He added that for the digital superhighway and creative economy agenda of the national government to succeed, there must be safeguards that will protect the processing of personal data.
The countrywide public sensitization forums are being organized by the Data Protection Commission under the theme of ‘Digital Rights Are Human Rights’.
The Data Protection Commission was established following the enactment of the Data Protection Act, 2019 to make provision for the regulation of the processing of personal data, to provide for the rights of data subjects and obligations of data controllers and processors, and connected purposes.
The Commission Deputy Director Oscar Otieno said the forums are meant to educate the public on their rights in data collection and protection.
The forum was also addressed by Assistant County Commissioner Peter Sironka Ole Masaa.
By Mohamed Hassan
