Global Tech Firm Digital Jewels Enters Kenyan Data Protection Market

Kenya’s changing data protection landscape is luring foreign technology companies, with the most recent newcomer, Digital Jewels, establishing itself in the local market.

After covering 15 countries, according to Digital Jewels’ founder and CEO Adedoyin Odunfa, Kenya offered a chance to collaborate with groups that have similar goals and a desire to advance the African narrative on data security and privacy.

“We are at a great place currently to begin deploying best practice standards in data protection such as the ISO 27701 that have been specifically designed to elevate the degree of security placed on the data held within our various institutions,” she said.

While there is no set deadline for Kenyan firms to register with the Data Protection Commission, Odunfa emphasized that in order to attain high compliance rates, Kenya must keep up with other East African nations like Rwanda.

According to Odunfa, the company’s debut into Kenya marks a turning point in the path of numerous enterprises to comply with national, regional, and worldwide data protection rules, which place a high value on the control of data flows and are vital in facilitating international trade.

The gathering, storing, and sharing of data has been a crucial factor between trading enterprises and nations since the government ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

By entering Kenya, Digital Jewels has teamed up with Serianu, a leading consultancy for data protection and cyber security, to offer a range of complimentary services.

“We expect Serianu’s partnership with Digital Jewels to deliver a robust approach for data protection and processes, governance frameworks and technology” said Serianu CEO William Makatiani.

He made the point that as companies employ technology more and more in all facets of their operations, data protection has grown to be a far bigger problem for them.

Makatiani noted that there had been significant work made in raising awareness throughout the nation and that it was now time to put the technology, rules, and procedures required for data protection into place.

Immaculate Kassait, the data commissioner, echoed his comments, saying that the commission was eager to help and improve self-regulation and that there was a proposal to launch an accreditation program for outside groups that would be involved in assessing and enforcing compliance with the Data Act.

“We see self-regulation as a key pillar of deepening compliance with data protection as we believe it begins with governance at the institutional level,” said Kassait.

The office of the data protection commissioner has created a set of recommendations for numerous industries, including fintech and health, that will soon be subject to public engagement in order to facilitate this process.