On 16 November 2020, Ms Immaculate Kassait took her oath of
office as Kenya's first Data Protection Commissioner as
appointed by the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary.
Commissioner Kassait, MBS, was formerly a Director at the
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in charge of Voter
Education, Partnerships and Communications. Under the Data
Protection Act of Kenya (the
Act), her appointment will be for a single term of
six years and she will not be eligible for reappointment.
What is the role of the Data Commissioner?
Primarily, the Data Commissioner's most immediate task will
be to implement the provisions of the recently enacted Act. Given
that she is the first to hold that office, her 'to-do' list
will be unenviably lengthy. Crucially, she must oversee the
establishment of the Office of the Data Commissioner, including the
appointment of its various officers.
