Kenya has a new professional body for data practitioners, which plans to train more than 10,000 data professionals over the next three years.
The Data Management Association (DAMA) Kenya Chapter was launched in Nairobi on Tuesday as an affiliate of DAMA International, the global body that sets data management standards and runs professional certification in the field.
The training programme will be run through a partnership with Pathways International.
The association has already signed up more than 900 members and 15 corporate partners.
It aims to set professional standards for data management in Kenya, build skills, promote certification and support research, as firms and government agencies handle growing volumes of data.
“Banks, telecommunications companies, government agencies, insurers, universities, healthcare organisations, retailers, manufacturers and technology companies are all generating and consuming unprecedented volumes of data,” said Hartnell Ndungi, executive president of DAMA Kenya.
“The challenge is no longer simply obtaining data. The challenge is ensuring that data is trusted, governed, secure, accessible, interoperable, understood and used responsibly,” he said.
Members will be able to access DAMA’s Data Management Body of Knowledge (DMBOK), a widely used industry reference, and prepare for the Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) qualification.
Mr Ndungi said the certification would help move the profession away from “fragmented job titles and individual practices toward recognised professional standards and competencies.”
He said it gives practitioners a way to prove structured knowledge of data management rather than relying only on job experience.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) welcomed the launch, saying the rise of artificial intelligence has made sound data management more important.
“As ODPC, we welcome initiatives that build professional capacity and foster a culture of privacy,” said Emmanuel Maiyo, deputy data commissioner.
He urged the chapter to champion data ethics, privacy by design and cybersecurity safeguards.
“DAMA strengthens the very foundation upon which effective privacy and data protection programmes are built,” Mr Maiyo said.
The launch comes as organisations in Kenya face growing compliance demands under the Data Protection Act, 2019, which requires those handling personal data to put adequate safeguards in place.
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By Nixon Kanali
Tech journalist based in Nairobi. I track and report on tech and African startups. Founder and Editor of TechTrends Media. Nixon is also the East African tech editor for Africa Business Communities. Send tips to kanali@techtrendsmedia.co.ke.