ODPC to open regional offices to enhance service delivery

KISUMU Thursday, June 15, 2023

KNA By Chris Mahandara

The Office of Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) is set to open three regional offices to enhance service delivery.

In what marks phase two of operalisation of the office, additional staff shall be deployed in the regions to hear and determine data complaints.

Sumaiyah Omar, a Data Protection Officer said the offices to be set up in Nakuru, Mombasa and Machakos will be up and running in three months as the ODPC moves to decentralise services.

The ODPC, she added, was in the process of establishing desks at selected Huduma Centers countrywide to run alongside the regional offices.

Speaking in Kisumu during a county sensitisation forum organised by the ODPC, Sumaiyah said the move targets to bring services closer to the people to enable the office to fulfill its mandate.

Since its inception, the office, she disclosed, has received 2,831 complaints out of which 922 have been admitted, 1,895 declined and 29 are under preliminary review.

Three enforcement notices and two penalty notices, she added, have also been issued during the period with two cases determined.

To fastrack addressing the complaints, the ODPC, she added, has developed an Alternative Dispute Resolution framework.

Another milestone, she said, is the maintenance of an up to date register for data controllers and data collectors with a total of 2,305 so far registered.

The increased collection of data by both public and private entities, she said, called for proactive measures to ensure that the data is used for the intended purpose.

Various government departments at national and county level and the private sector were sensitised on the mandate of ODPC and how to protect personal data.

The initiative targets to get the institutions to appreciate the Data Protection Act, 2019 and embark on its compliance, undertake data impact assessments as provided under the act and document any breaches and mitigation measures taken.

Speaking during the same occasion, Acting Kisumu County Commissioner Hussein Alassow Hussein said data protection was paramount to ensure that it does not fall into wrong hands.

With the increased data collection by the government for planning and development purposes, custodians of the information must be proactive to ensure it is preserved.

“We have witnessed cases whereby somebody lands on personal information of another person and they use it for frauds especially transfer and purchase of land. That is why data protection is very key,” he said.

Courtesy ; K. N. A