What you need to know before giving out personal data- expert

The 2019 Data Protection Bill has laws and regulations that govern any data processing activity. It was assented to in 2019 after data safety concerns were raised during the registration of the Huduma Namba.

According to the bill, any organization that needs to process data needs to do a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) and submit it to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), 60 days before the processing begins.

Additionally, organizations should have a well-determined lawful basis for processing which includes consent, contract, and legal obligations among others.

Gadhia specified that data protection awareness is an area that needs to be addressed globally and not just locally.

"Data protection awareness is not a Kenyan nor an East African or African issue but a global issue. It I more about creating awareness at a local, regional, and global level," said Gadhia.

"Your data is your currency. It is more valuable than the money in your account."

The government through the Ministry of Interior suspended the registration and scanning of eyeballs over security and data breach concerns.