Kenya is drafting a National Data Governance Policy, which will be a blueprint that positions data as a strategic national asset, which the government hopes will help to power socio-economic transformation.
The Ministry of Information Communications and The digital Economy is drafting the policy, which is being developed in partnership with the European Union and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation, through the German Corporation for International Cooperation Digital Transformation Centre.
A National Data Governance Policy Inception Forum was held yesterday and presided over by Dr Boniface Makokha, Kenya’s principal secretary: Economic Planning.
Makokha said the policy would guide how Kenya will treat data and use it as a foundation of the country's social-economic transformation, by driving growth, inclusion and innovation.
"Data is the lifeblood of modern planning and decision-making," Makokha said.
John Tanui, principal secretary: ICT and Digital Economy, was also at the event. He said:
"Strong governance will fuel Kenya’s digital economy, investment attraction, and innovation capacity. Collaboration across government, academia, civil society and private sector is vital to success.”
He described the forum as the beginning of a journey that would ensure all stakeholders played an active role in shaping the policy for current and future generations.
According to Tanui, Kenya has one of the most mature data protection environments on the continent, driven by the Data Protection Act (2019) and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
The launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030 has further pushed the country to the forefront of the continent’s digital transformation.
"At the core of all these initiatives is data. We must not only protect it, but we must also unlock its value," Tanui said.
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