President Uhuru Kenyatta has nominated IEBC’s Immaculate Kassait to be appointed to the position of Data Protection Commissioner.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Justin Muturi told Parliament that the president has forwarded Kassait’s name for vetting before she can assume the position.
Ms Kassait is currently working as the director of voter education, partnerships and communications at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“I wish to report to the House that I have received a message from His Excellency the President seeking the National Assembly’s approval for the appointment of Ms Immaculate Kassait as the Data Commissioner,” Speaker Muturi told the house.
The Data Protection Act 2019, powers the president to nominate then forward that nominee’s name to parliament for approval before he can appoint the Data Commissioner.
The Data Protection Act 2019 also powers the commissioner to investigate data breaches, to do entry and search and issuing administrative fines.
In cases of any data breach, the data controller is required to notify the commissioner.
Ms Kassait will be required to establish and maintain a register of data controllers and processors while watching over data processing operations.
The move comes after the government announced plans to register Kenyans under ‘Huduma Number’ afresh after a similar exercise went to waste last year.
Critics of the president including those in Jubilee have opposed the new plans for Huduma Number and turned it into a new rallying cry.
Politicians allied to Deputy President William Ruto claim that the new Huduma Number is a ploy by the system to rig elections 2022 elections.
Tangatanga has sucked in President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga but majorly accused Interior PS Karanja Kibicho of plotting to use National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS),popular as Huduma Number to rig in Raila in 2022.
Ms Kassait gets elevation at the time when the electoral body remains technically dysfunctional amid calls for Huduma Number and referendum to expand the executive through Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
