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Saturday, 12 September 2026
Kenya’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Saturday, 12 September 2026
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Kenyan press · Organization

Office of the Data Protection Commissioner

Also known as: ODPC

Kenyan government body that enforces data protection law, including ordering compensation for privacy breaches and warning data handlers to comply with registration requirements.

2026-04-252026-09-12
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In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. May 2026

  2. KMA condemns politicians' live streams in hospitals for political gain

    1. Capital News

      … The association further cited the Data Protection Act of 2019, which classifies health information as sensitive personal data, warning that recording or broadcasting patients without informed consent could attract legal action from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. …

      Doctors’ association condemns politicians over filming in hospitals, warns of patient privacy violations

    2. Citizen Digital

      … It pointed to the Data Protection Act, 2019, which classifies health data as sensitive personal information, saying recording or broadcasting patients without explicit informed consent is actionable by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC). …

      KMA condemns politicians, public figures over live streams in hospitals

  3. The Standard

    … stands no chance and must therefore inevitably collapse for want of proof," said Justice Mugambi.Ruth Khanali, Chrispin Mayaka, Kelvin Ndoho and Katiba Institute had sued the parties and the Registrar of Political Parties, and named the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner …

    Parties escape penalty for illegal recruitment of members
  4. April 2026

  5. Citizen Digital

    … "Why the Hell is Gaucho in the wards live streaming @MOH_Kenya? @SakajaJohnson anagalau your people should have briefed Gaucho on Patients Privacy. @ODPP_KE @DCI_Kenya this is criminal! @ODPC_KE kazi kwenu! …

    Uproar after Mama Lucy Hospital board member Gaucho live-streams patients during ward tour

  6. The Standard

    … To respond to the evolving threat landscape, the government is reviewing key legal frameworks, including the Kenya Information and Communications Act, while strengthening enforcement of the Data Protection Act through the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.Authorities not …

    CS Kabogo: Digital economy now established, focus shifts to governance and accountability
Politics

Stakeholders call for Kenya to ratify Malabo Convention on digital governance

The News

Kenya has undergone rapid technological growth accompanied by increasing digital risks. Stakeholders argue the Malabo Convention—an African Union treaty creating a unified legal framework for cybersecurity, electronic transactions, and personal data protection across Africa—is essential to address cross-border digital governance challenges; despite Cabinet approval in 2025, the agreement awaits National Assembly ratification.

8 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Tuesday 8 September

  1. Stakeholders call for Kenya to ratify Malabo Convention on digital governance

    Kenya has undergone rapid technological growth accompanied by increasing digital risks. Stakeholders argue the Malabo Convention—an African Union treaty creating a unified legal framework for cybersecurity, electronic transactions, and personal data protection across Africa—is essential to address cross-border digital governance challenges; despite Cabinet approval in 2025, the agreement awaits National Assembly ratification.

    8 September 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Tuesday 1 September

  1. Kenya leads global AI adoption among internet users

    Kenyan internet users aged 16 and above have the highest AI tool adoption rate globally at 97.5 per cent in the past month, according to the Digital 2026 Mid-Year Global Update covering 54 markets. The article examines whether widespread AI adoption will translate into measurable economic gains for Kenya, alongside concerns about job displacement, misinformation, and privacy.

    1 September 2026 · Capital News →

Saturday 29 August

  1. ODPC gives data handlers 14 days to renew expired certificates

    Kenya's Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has given organisations handling personal data until September 11, 2026 to renew expired registration certificates, warning that failure to comply could trigger enforcement action.

    29 August 2026 · Capital News →

Wednesday 26 August

  1. High Court orders Platinum Credit to preserve customer data

    The High Court has ordered Platinum Credit Limited to preserve its customer and marketing records as it considers a case challenging how personal data is collected, used and handled by the digital lender. Justice Patricia Nyaundi Mande certified the case as urgent, requiring the company to keep records including customer agreements, consent documentation, communications, complaints, and data protection policies that could be important to the case.

    26 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Monday 24 August

  1. Government strategist accused of breaching medical data online

    Dennis Itumbi faced criticism from data privacy advocates and legal experts after posting details of private medical claims by individuals linked to lawyer Ndegwa Njiru on X, reigniting debate over sensitive health data protection under Kenya's Social Health Authority framework and patient privacy under the Health Act.

    24 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Sunday 23 August

  1. Government sets telematics policy framework for fleet management

    Kenya's government has outlined a policy framework for the fleet management industry, emphasising secure data use, interoperability, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and electric mobility support. The framework aims to improve road safety, strengthen logistics reliability and enterprise competitiveness within an intelligent digital transport ecosystem.

    23 August 2026 · The Standard →

Friday 21 August

  1. Kenya develops AI regulation but implementation oversight unclear

    Kenya has launched a National AI Strategy 2025–2030 and proposed an AI law, but confusion is mounting over which institution will regulate AI and how the strategy will be funded, as multiple agencies develop overlapping rules and oversight mechanisms.

    21 August 2026 · Capital News →

  2. Surveillance grows across Africa as citizens remain unaware

    Governments across Africa are investing heavily in surveillance technologies to monitor citizens' communications and online activity under the banner of national security and service delivery, yet most Kenyans remain unaware of how much data is being collected and who has access to it. While Kenya has passed the Data Protection Act and established the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, implementation remains inconsistent.

    21 August 2026 · The Standard →

  3. Mukumu Girls ordered to pay Sh300,000 for sharing student's photo

    The Data Protection Commissioner has ordered Sacred Heart Mukumu Girls' High School to pay Sh300,000 as compensation for unlawfully sharing a Form Four student's photograph without parental consent. The school disclosed the minor's image to media in May 2023 for publication, breaching data protection principles by using the photo for a purpose materially different from its original collection for admission and administration.

    21 August 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 12 August

  1. Universities compete at Kenya National Music Festival

    Kenya's universities are competing at the 98th Kenya National Music Festival in Bungoma County, held from August 7 to 14, showcasing musical excellence, cultural heritage and artistic creativity under the theme "Enhancing the Creative Economy through Knowledge, Skills and Artistic Production for Sustainable Development." Institutions including Kabarak University and Mount Kenya University are performing various musical pieces and competing for the national crown.

    12 August 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 22 July

  1. Data Protection Commissioner adopts ISO quality standard amid cyber threats

    Kenya loses at least Sh29 billion annually to cybersecurity threats, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya. The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has adopted the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System to improve service delivery and strengthen accountability as the digital economy expands.

    22 July 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 8 July

  1. Music festival learners promote online safety and data privacy

    At Kenya Music Festival regional competitions, learners use music, poetry, dance and elocution to advocate for online safety, data protection, responsible internet use, and other social issues. Performances emphasized the dangers of digital platform misuse, including misinformation and cyberbullying, urging peers to verify information before sharing.

    8 July 2026 · The Standard →

Friday 3 July

  1. Government urges responsible AI adoption, consumer data protection

    Kenya's Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Stephen Isaboke told the Marketing Society of Kenya summit that businesses should embrace artificial intelligence responsibly while protecting consumer data, characterizing data misuse as equivalent to theft.

    3 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 2 July

  1. Data theft equals property theft, PS warns marketers

    Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary Stephen Isaboke has urged marketers to embrace artificial intelligence responsibly, warning that misuse of consumer data amounts to theft. He said data now drives innovation and informs decisions across sectors, justifying the creation of the Office of Data Protection, which has warned businesses that entities handling personal data risk fines of up to Sh5 million for failing to register.

    2 July 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 1 July

  1. Petition challenges NTSA e-sticker over privacy and fraud risks

    Public interest litigants have filed a complaint with the Data Protection Commissioner against the NTSA's newly introduced electronic vehicle inspection sticker, arguing it violates motorists' privacy rights by requiring public display of sensitive personal and vehicle information including owner name, registration and engine numbers, and vehicle identification number.

    1 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Friday 12 June

  1. High Court suspends Rology Medical Kenya operations over data law violations

    Justice Patricia Mande Nyaudi ordered the immediate suspension of Rology Medical Kenya Limited's operations until it complies with Kenya's digital health and data protection laws. The court directed the government and health regulators to revoke any approvals the company holds for handling patients' digital health records.

    12 June 2026 · The Standard →

Monday 8 June

  1. Kenya leads AI adoption but struggles with regulation

    Kenya recorded the world's highest usage rate of AI tools in 2025, with 42.1% of internet users aged 16 and above reporting active use of AI-powered technologies, yet faces challenges balancing AI empowerment with surveillance and manipulation risks, according to reports cited in this opinion piece.

    8 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 4 June

  1. Only 12% of government services fully digitised, Kabogo tells Senate

    Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo reported to the Senate Information Commission Technology Committee that of 6,000 government services across Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and County Governments, only 12% are fully digitised and available through end-to-end digital channels; 30% are partially digitised, while 58% continue to rely on manual processes. The average online transaction completion rate was 37%, and less than 10% of approximately 635 million physical government records have been digitised.

    4 June 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 14 May

  1. Kenya has adequate safeguards against online child abuse

    Information and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo told the Senate that Kenya has legal, regulatory and administrative safeguards to protect children from harm online, including subsidiary regulations, industry guidelines, ethical codes, and interventions by the Data Protection Commissioner, Media Council of Kenya, Kenya Film Classification Board and State Department for Children Services. Kabogo said these instruments are aligned to international treaties and UN guidance.

    14 May 2026 · The Standard →

Monday 11 May

  1. Doctors condemn politicians filming patients in hospitals

    The Kenya Medical Association has raised concerns over leaders and members of the public filming and photographing patients in healthcare facilities, saying such actions breach patients' legal rights, ethical protections, and human dignity. The KMA stated that politicians often enter wards and theatres without proper PPE, risking infections and violating privacy and confidentiality.

    11 May 2026 · The Standard →

Saturday 9 May

  1. Doctors' union condemns politicians filming in hospitals

    The Kenya Medical Association has condemned politicians and public figures staging photo shoots and broadcasts inside hospitals, stating the practice violates patient privacy and dignity. The association warned that filming in wards and patient areas breaches patients' legal and ethical protections and violates the Constitution and Data Protection Act.

    9 May 2026 · Capital News →

Friday 8 May

  1. KMA condemns politicians' live streams in hospitals for political gain

    The Kenya Medical Association has strongly condemned what it says is a growing trend of politicians, public figures and members of the public staging photography sessions, live broadcasts and media events inside healthcare facilities, saying the actions violate patient privacy, dignity and confidentiality under the Constitution and the Health Act, 2017.

    8 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 7 May

  1. High Court dismisses case against parties over illegal member registration

    The High Court declined to hold political parties accountable for illegally registering persons as members, ruling that petitioners had not attached an electronic evidence certificate to authenticate the data. Four petitioners had sued UDA, Jubilee and Farmers parties after finding themselves affiliated with the parties in June 2021 without having registered or given consent.

    7 May 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 29 April

  1. Mama Lucy Hospital board member faces backlash over patient livestream

    Calvince Gaucho, newly-appointed board member of Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, live-streamed a ward tour on TikTok, capturing patients in various states including those in visible distress, prompting widespread outrage over privacy violations.

    29 April 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Saturday 25 April

  1. Government shifts digital focus to governance and cybersecurity

    Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo said Kenya's digital economy has moved beyond adoption and innovation into a phase centred on accountability, system resilience, and trust, as the country confronts unprecedented cyber risks including 4.56 billion cyber events recorded in a single quarter. The government is strengthening digital governance frameworks, reviewing the Kenya Information and Communications Act, and developing new policies on cloud services and artificial intelligence regulation.

    25 April 2026 · The Standard →

Office of the Data Protection Commissioner — Kenyan press coverage · Kenya Minute