A group of ten civil society organisations (CSOs) in Kenya has raised citizen data protection concerns as the government prepares to roll out the Maisha Number, Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) in the country.
Development Diaries reports that the concern was raised by Nubian Rights Forum, Namati Kenya, Centre for Minority Development, Kenya Human Rights Commission Defenders Coalition and Access Now.
Others include the Katiba Institute, Hali Na Sheria Initiative, ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa and Pastoralists Rights and Advocacy Network.
The CSOs argue that the introduction of the Maisha Number has overlooked essential steps needed for an identification system upgrade and reforms.
The Data Protection Bill in Kenya was passed into law in 2019, making the country the third in East Africa to have legislation dedicated to data protection.
The law was expedited following concerns raised over the Huduma Namba registration exercise, with those opposed to the process raising concerns about the safety of citizen’s personal data collected by the government.
According to the group, the government must conduct a robust data protection assessment and human rights impact check before the Maisha Number programme is rolled out later in September.
A rushed rollout effort could pose a danger to Kenyans’ private data and possibly violate their rights as citizens.
‘No data protection assessment has been made public, no public awareness has been conducted, and no safeguards have been put in place to ensure Kenyans who have struggled to obtain documentation can acquire a UPI or related government services’, the group said at a press conference.
The group cited inadequate public participation and lack of robust legal framework in enacting the Maisha Number as among their main areas of concern even as the country gears to transition to third-generation identity cards.
Photo source: AMISON
