The National Assembly has adopted the report by its committee recommending that former IEBC director Immaculate Kassait be appointed as the country’s first Data Commissioner. 

Kassait was formerly the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Director of Voter Education and Partnerships.

She was vetted by the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Communication Information and Innovation chaired by Marakwet West MP William Kisang.

The approval of her nomination now paves way for her appointment to set the stage for the government to start issuing Huduma Namba cards to Kenyans who registered.

Up to 37 million Kenyans had enrolled for the nationwide programme by May 2019 when the registration window closed.

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During this year’s Mashujaa Day celebration, President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta received their sample copies of their Huduma Namba cards during the event held in Kisii County.  

The Data Commissioner position came into being after the enactment of the Data Protection Act, which aims to regulate processing of personal data and protect the privacy of individuals.

At IEBC, Kassait was a major player in the disputed and repeated 2017 general election and initially some MPs questioning her integrity and suitability for the post.

The Data Protection Act was signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta on November 8, 2019 and the Data Commissioner is tasked with maintaining a register of data controllers and regulating the processing of personal data.