The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) has assured Kenyans that their personal information will remain safe and secure under the proposed use of biometric data in censuses and surveys outlined in the Statistics Bill, 2026.
The bill, which is currently undergoing nationwide public participation, proposes the transition of KNBS into the Kenya Statistics Authority and the establishment of the National Statistical System.
KNBS Acting Head of Legal Services Linda Olueny said during a public participation for Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Taita Taveta and Lamu counties that the Authority and the National Statistical System will coordinate and regulate statistical activities to provide for statistical standards, confidentiality of statistical information and compliance.
The Authority to be headed by a Statistician General shall be the principal agency of the government responsible for the collection, compilation, analysis, coordination and dissemination of official statistics in Kenya and shall be the custodian of official statistical information.
It also seeks to introduce the use of biometric data in censuses and surveys to improve accuracy, prevent duplication, and enhance the integrity of collected data.
According to the proposed law, the authority will be allowed to collect and process biometric data during the conduct of national censuses and surveys.
The Authority shall implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security, confidentiality and integrity of biometric data.
The biometric data shall not be shared with any person or body for administrative, enforcement or investigative purposes except pursuant to an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
“KNBS wants to assure members of the public that the data we are collecting, even now as KNBS, is very safe, secure, and stored in a proper manner,” said KNBS Acting Head of Legal Services Linda Olueny.
“We also want to assure members of the public that with the coming of the new bill, we are reinforcing this issue. We take cognisance of the provisions of the Data Protection Act, the Access to Information Act, and Article 35 of the Constitution, which requires that data collected be treated confidentially and with a high level of security,” she added.
The bill will repeal the current Statistics Act, Cap 112 to be in line with the new constitution and rapid technological advancement bringing about new data sources.
The bill also seeks to establish a Statistics Fund that will be established by the Cabinet Secretary in charge of matters relating to statistics.
“This fund will seek to fund large-scale statistical activities. We are also proposing in the new bill to establish the County Statistics Office which will deal with the matters touching on statistics around the counties for planning purposes,” said the Ag. KNBS Head of Legal Services.
By Sadik Hassan
