Kenya Nominates Lydia Sitienei as Second Data Commissioner
Sitienei is expected to succeed Immaculate Kassait, Kenya’s inaugural Data Commissioner, whose six-year term is coming to an end.
Kenya’s President William Ruto has nominated Lydia Sitienei, Director of Legal Services and Corporation Secretary at the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), to become the country’s second Data Commissioner.
The nomination, announced by the Executive Office of the President, follows a recommendation by the Public Service Commission and has been forwarded to the National Assembly for consideration and approval in accordance with the Data Protection Act, Cap 411C.
Sitienei is expected to succeed Immaculate Kassait, Kenya’s inaugural Data Commissioner, whose six-year term is coming to an end. If approved, she will head the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), the national body responsible for overseeing personal data processing, protecting individuals’ privacy and enforcing compliance with data protection regulations across public and private institutions.
The appointment comes as Kenya continues to strengthen its digital governance and data protection framework. The ODPC plays a central role in ensuring that organisations handling personal information comply with the country’s data protection requirements.
The presidential announcement also included appointments to leadership positions in several state corporations.
