Day: June 11, 2023

As the country undergoes digital transformation where a variety of services to the public will be availed on digital platforms, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has put in place legal and institutional mechanisms to ensure that personal data is protected.

It’s a constitutional right of all Kenyan citizens, legally referred to as data subjects, to have their data protected from persons and organizations who may intend to use this information for unlawful purposes.

Protection of personal data is what informed the establishment of ODPC in November, 2020 following the enactment of the Data Protection Act of 2019. The office is mandated to ensure that processing of personal data of a subject is guided by the principles set out in the Act.

Head of Legal Services at ODPC Ms. Susan Waweru said that the office is also mandated to create awareness among Data Controllers and Processors on how they can operate within the law. She said registering with ODPC is the first step towards compliance with the Data Protection Act.

An Advocacy officer at ODPC, Mr. Abdullahi Ali said that the office was creating awareness in all counties and hoped to reach all counties by the end of this financial year.

‘Several teams have therefore been dispatched to different counties to sensitize data collectors and processors on the mandate of the ODPC, the provisions of the data protection Act and their obligation in data protection’, he said.

Speaking at Embu County during sensitization exercise, Ali asked data controllers and processors to be accountable for the information in their custody and ensure that it’s only used for the intended purpose. He urged them to only collect the data they require in order to minimize risks such as fraud or unsolicited marketing by entities that could obtain this data illegally.

Data collectors and processors were asked to undertake a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) in order to identify the risks involved in their work and address them thus ensuring there is no data breach.

‘They should also have a retention schedule which will guide how long they should hold information after which it should be discarded in a lawful manner’, he said.

Mr Ali said that in instances where a data collector provides private data to another party for processing, a contract bearing details on how this information will be managed should be drawn.

Embu West Deputy County Commissioner Ms Mercy Gatobu speaking at the function pledged support for the ODPC in ensuring that all public and private entities that were handling personal data in the County complied with the provisions of the Data Protection Act.

She noted that government departments collected a lot of personal and even sensitive data in the cause of providing services to the public and concurred that there was urgent need to protect this information that at times leaked into the public domain.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Parents have been challenged to work closely with teachers and other education stakeholders in moulding learners to succeed in their careers.

Homa Bay County Commissioner Moses Lilan said parents should closely monitor children and nurture them to be reliable and resourceful citizens.

Speaking today during a thanksgiving ceremony at Wayare Mixed Secondary School in Ndhiwa Sub County, Lilan called for concerted efforts to address rampant teen pregnancies in the area.

He directed Chiefs to ensure all teenage pregnancies were reported and the culprits behind the defilements tracked down.

He said such culprits must face the full force of the law and warned against out of court settlement.

The administrator hailed Wayare School for impressive performance in last year’s Form Four exams despite challenges like lack of teachers and electricity connection.

He said the school will be connected to the national electricity grid before the end of this month.

Lilan advised students to set their goals early and ensure that they pursue courses that are relevant to the job market.

Homa Bay County Director of Education Eunice Khaemba challenged girls to embrace mathematics, sciences and technical courses.

She told the girls to disregard the mindset that such careers were a preserve for the boys.

The school’s Board of Management Chairman Professor John Ochola urged the government to support the school by drilling a borehole in the institution to ease water scarcity.

He urged the Teachers Service Commission to deploy more teachers to the school adding that the school also urgently required infrastructural facilities.

Prof. Ochola thanked the M-pesa Foundation for recently donating desks and water tanks to the school.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has asked leaders from Sugarcane Growing regions of Western Kenya to consider convening a mega Sugar Conference to discuss how to resuscitate the ailing sector.

He said sugarcane has been the main cash crop in the region creating many opportunities while improving livelihoods.

The Governor said there was a need to have a conversation to come up with a lasting solution to the sector that has potential to turnaround the economy of Western Kenya.

He said as leaders from other regions are planning for Coffee and Tea Conferences to assist their farmers, Western region leaders need to also wake up to the call.

‘Let us start having a conversation around sugar so that we can revive our sugar factories,’ he noted.

The Governor also urged Mumias Sugar Company Investor Sarrai Group of Companies to employ locals before engaging workers from foreign countries.

‘We have our youth who have experience, please give them an opportunity to work in the company,’ he noted.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is going to convene its 14th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Djibouti by tomorrow 12 June 2023.

In its press advisory sent to ENA, IGAD said that the summit will bring leaders and officials of various countries to discuss on regional issues including IGAD’s response to the regions endeavors.

The meeting is also expected to review the progress of the peace process in South Sudan.

It is to be recall that the 13th Ordinary Summit of the IGAD Heads of State and Government was held on 29 November 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency