Kassait exits after six years, says data protection is now a national conversation
Kenya's first Data Protection Commissioner, Immaculate Kassait, has ended her six-year tenure. The regulator registered more than 15,000 data handlers on her watch, and Ruto has nominated Lydia Sitienei Chelagat to replace her.
Outgoing Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait says her biggest achievement was turning data protection into a national conversation, Capital FM reported. Before her six years at the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), the issue was largely unfamiliar. "I think we've made data protection a conversation in this country," she said. Kassait recalled early resistance when the regulator first wrote to organisations demanding compliance. Some institutions replied: "Who are you?" Over time, she said, organisations increasingly had to account for how they handled personal information. According to TechMoran, Kassait took office in November 2020 after the Data Protection Act, 2019 was passed. The office started with fewer than 10 employees, many seconded from other agencies. It worked from offices provided by the Communications Authority. It now has its own headquarters, regional offices and desks at Huduma Centres. Registrations of data controllers and processors passed 15,000 by early 2026, up from 7,223 in 2024, TechMoran reported. By early 2026, the ODPC had handled 9,061 complaints. Many targeted digital lenders accused of misusing borrowers' data.…
Read more 3 min read