By: Kanto Kai Okanta
Kenya's Office of the Data
Protection Commissioner (ODPC) and the Office of the Registrar of Political
Parties (ORPP) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration
aimed at improving compliance with the country's data protection laws and
promoting responsible handling of personal data within political parties.
The meeting, led by Data
Commissioner Immaculate Kassait, SC, MBS, and Registrar of Political Parties
J.C. Lorionokou, focused on enhancing cooperation following the completion of a
data protection audit conducted at the ORPP.
Discussions centred on the
audit's findings, measures to strengthen compliance with Kenya's Data
Protection Act, 2019, and the need for continuous capacity building and
technical support to improve data governance practices across the political
party ecosystem.
The two institutions also
explored ways to promote responsible processing of personal data by political
parties, recognising the growing importance of protecting citizens' personal
information in an increasingly digital political environment.
Speaking after the meeting,
Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait commended the Office of the Registrar of
Political Parties for its commitment to integrating data protection principles
into its operations.
"I commend ORPP for its
commitment to embedding data protection into its operations and look forward to
our continued collaboration in promoting compliance and safeguarding the right
to privacy," Kassait said.
The engagement forms part of
the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner's broader efforts to strengthen
institutional compliance with Kenya's data protection framework through audits,
technical guidance and stakeholder engagement.
The collaboration is
expected to support stronger privacy governance within political parties by
promoting adherence to legal requirements governing the collection, processing
and storage of personal data.
Kenya's Data Protection Act,
2019, establishes the legal framework for the protection of personal data and
outlines the responsibilities of data controllers and processors, with the
Office of the Data Protection Commissioner serving as the country's data
protection regulator.
