Kenya has been ranked as the best among African countries in the Privacy Index, a score that measures the general level of compliance with data protection and privacy laws.
According to a report by Privacy Symposium Africa, Kenya was ranked number one with 40 per cent in the data protection and privacy index compared to Rwanda, Tanzania, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, and Uganda, which scored 30, 29, 35, 25, and 38 per cent, respectively.
While Kenya emerged top, the privacy index, however, dropped compared to last year's record.
''Compared to last year’s score of 47.3 per cent, this year’s overall index score was 40 per cent, with Kenya recording the highest score. This was followed by Uganda, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe," the report read in part.
According to the report, Kenya demonstrated a higher level of compliance with data protection and privacy laws compared to other countries.
Kenya has been hailed for leading in registration with the national regulator, accessible privacy policies, pre-collection data transparency, and third-party data transfer practices.
Other indicators that were rated that Kenya is leading in are data security measures, availability of transparency reports, and internal data breach resolution processes.
Kenya has been praised for its progress but cautions that continuous monitoring and enforcement are necessary to maintain high standards.
“Kenya’s leadership in data protection is commendable, but organisations must remain vigilant to emerging threats such as cybercrime and unauthorised data access,” the report continued.
Kenya's high score in the privacy index has largely been boosted by its Data Protection Act, which has been instrumental in shaping privacy policies and ensuring accountability among data collectors and processors.
The law mandates organisations to register with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, a requirement that has significantly improved compliance rates in the country.
While the report hailed Kenya, it underscored some of the challenges other countries like Uganda and Zimbabwe were facing in terms of data privacy and protection, with issues of transparency and accountability taking centre stage in the challenges they face.
Speaking on April 4, Kenya's Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen challenged Africa in general to incorporate AI to tighten data security and protection on the continent.
According to Murkomen, the use of traditional surveillance methods is no longer tenable in a fast-paced technological environment like now.
