Kenya moves towards datadriven economy with new governance policy

HANIFA TAMIM AND SHALPHINE MUKASIA -PCO

The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Kenya as a data-driven economy through the development of a comprehensive National Data Governance Policy.

Speaking at a public sector stakeholder validation workshop in Nairobi, Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, Eng. John Tanui, said the policy is designed to transform data into a strategic national asset by establishing clear rules, strong institutions, and public trust.

“Data has become one of the country’s most strategic assets. To unlock its full socio-economic value, we must build a harmonized, inclusive, and ethical framework that treats data as a shared national resource while safeguarding citizens’ rights,” Eng. Tanui said.

He noted that Kenya’s current data ecosystem faces significant challenges, including fragmented legal frameworks, siloed systems across government institutions, inconsistent standards, and limited capacity in data management and analytics.

These weaknesses, he added, have undermined interoperability, evidence-based decision-making, and efficient service delivery. The new policy seeks to address these gaps by aligning with the Constitution, the Data Protection Act of 2019, and the Access to Information Act.

It will be anchored on principles such as data standardization, single sources of truth, data sovereignty, secure sharing, transparency, and human-centric governance. 

Under the framework, citizens and businesses will only be required to provide information to government once, after which it will be securely shared across institutions with appropriate safeguards.

The policy also aims to respond to risks posed by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the Internet of Things.

It proposes adaptive governance mechanisms, risk-based audits, and stronger oversight of automated decision-making systems to ensure accountability and protect citizens’ rights.

To drive implementation, Tanui announced plans to establish a National Data Governance and Emerging Technologies Council.

The body will oversee policy rollout, enforce standards, and guide the development of a national data marketplace.

It will be supported by a strengthened Data Governance Office within the Ministry and a multi-stakeholder steering committee comprising representatives from government, private sector, academia, civil society, and development partners.

Public awareness and capacity building will form critical pillars of the policy. Tanui emphasized that low data literacy and limited understanding of data rights among citizens have contributed to mistrust and resistance to data sharing.

To address this, the government plans nationwide data literacy and ethics campaigns, integration of digital skills into education curricula, and training of public officers at both national and county levels.

The validation workshop is part of an extensive consultation process that has included surveys, town hall meetings, key informant interviews, and regional engagements.

Feedback from stakeholders will be incorporated before the draft policy is finalized, approved by Cabinet, and officially launched later this year.