Kenya’s data protection regulator is about to get its second boss, with the President nominating Lydia Sitienei Chelagat as Data Commissioner and sending her name to Parliament for approval under the Data Protection Act, 2019.
The Public Service Commission received 152 applications for the post and shortlisted 13 candidates, with the President settling on Chelagat, who served as Director of Legal Services and Corporation Secretary at the Communications Authority of Kenya.
She would succeed Immaculate Kassait, the first person to hold the office, whose single six-year term began in November 2020 and cannot be renewed.
What she inherits is a regulator that has moved from paper to practice. The Commissioner heads the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, which registers organizations that handle personal data, investigates complaints from the public, and can issue enforcement notices and penalties of up to KES 5 million or 1% of annual turnover, whichever is lower. Banks, telcos, hospitals, betting firms, and government bodies all fall within that reach, as does any app that collects a Kenyan’s details.
Expectations are likely to center on deterrence.
Kassait leaves behind an enforcement record that includes a case ending in the deletion of biometric data a company had collected, yet commentators have questioned whether the office has the staff, budget, and authority to make large organizations take compliance seriously.
Chelagat’s regulatory background could help, though she will also face pressure to keep pace with digital ID, AI-driven profiling, and cross-border data transfers.
The National Assembly now takes over, and the vetting is likely to test how she plans to build the office’s capacity and protect its independence.
The same statement lists five other appointments. Waweru Karanja becomes CEO of the Privatization Authority, Wakhungu Patrick Murunga heads the Regional Centre on Groundwater Resources Education, Training and Research in Eastern Africa, and Peninah Wangare Wahome takes over at the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya. John Washington Agutu is acting CEO of the National Housing Corporation, while Dr. Janerose Omondi is acting CEO of the Kenya National Entrepreneurs Savings Trust.
