Lilian Nyiva
The Kenyan government is planning to commercialise non-personal data collected through the eCitizen platform and other public institutions as part of efforts to generate additional revenue and support innovation.
The proposal is contained in the Draft National Data Governance Policy, which seeks to establish a State-run marketplace for the lawful exchange of anonymised and aggregated datasets. The initiative would allow researchers, businesses, non-governmental organisations and innovators to access government data through a structured licensing system.
According to the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, the proposed framework would treat data as a strategic national asset capable of creating economic opportunities while improving public service delivery.
What Data Would Be Sold?
The government says only non-personal and anonymised data would be made available through the marketplace. Personal information such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, national identification numbers and images would remain protected under the Data Protection Act.
Examples of data that could be commercialised include:
Business registration trends
Demand for government services
Passport and immigration application volumes by region
Birth, death and marriage registration statistics
Vehicle registration records
Land transaction trends
Traffic flow patterns
Agricultural and crop production data
The government argues that such datasets could help businesses develop new products, support academic research and improve policy planning.
New Agency to Oversee Data Commercialisation
Under the proposal, a National Data Governance and Emerging Technologies Council would be established to coordinate data collection, management and commercialisation across government institutions. A dedicated Data Governance Office would also be created to oversee the marketplace's operations.
The policy targets the publication and potential sale of at least 1,000 datasets over the next five years, creating what the government describes as a new revenue stream for the State. The marketplace is estimated to cost approximately Sh396 million to develop and operate during the same period.
Balancing Revenue and Privacy
Government officials maintain that the initiative will comply with Kenya's existing data protection laws and international standards on data governance. The draft policy proposes safeguards such as data audits, impact assessments, licensing frameworks and strict controls on data sharing.
The proposal comes amid growing global recognition of data as a valuable economic resource. Countries such as Singapore and the United Kingdom already operate systems that allow access to certain public datasets for commercial and research purposes.
Public Debate Expected
The proposal is likely to spark public debate over data privacy, government transparency and the commercial value of information generated through public services. While the government insists that personal information will not be sold, privacy advocates are expected to scrutinise the safeguards proposed in the policy.
If adopted, Kenya would become one of the first countries in Africa to establish a formal government-run marketplace for the sale of anonymised public-sector data.
