The newly established Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) launched a new website and logo as they forge to establish themselves in government.
The launch was also a double party to commemorate 100 days since the swearing in of the first data Commissioner. Immaculate Kassait was appointed in October 2020 as Kenya’s first Data Commissioner.
The new ODPC website is among the better looking government websites that I’ve seen in a while. The website allows a Kenyan to perform a number of things as per the ODPC mandate. You can report a data breach, file a complaint or report a concern right from the website. It also contains info that Kenyans may need to know regarding data protection like their rights, how to exercise them and its principles. it also includes resources like the general guidelines and its data protection statement.
The new Office of the Data Protection Commissioner logo is also quite interesting. It features a padlock at the middle with ribbons that have slightly different shades of blue. It is simple and straight to the point which is welcome.
The event was attended by the chief guest, Ester Koimett, who is the Principal Secretary – State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunications. “The Ministry is committed to ensuring the success of ODPC and, to that end, has put together a multi-agency Committee to guide in setting up of this Office that is unlike any other established in Kenya to date,” she said.
If you are not aware, the Data Protection Commissioner office was established under the Data Protection law that was signed into law in November 2019. You can check out a review of the Data Protection law as reviewed by a lawyer here.
It finally gave Kenya a data protection law since we are living in a time where data handling has become of great importance. This will become an important issue this decade and that’s why we have seen lawyers coming up with ways to help businesses be data compliant.