The Future Is Data: DAMA Kenya Launches With Ambitious Plan to Train 10,000 Professionals

By Michael Nyamai -

Nairobi, Kenya, October 13, 2026 – DAMA Kenya, the Kenyan chapter of the Data Management Association International, has officially launched with an ambitious plan to train 10,000 professionals and strengthen data governance, privacy protection and artificial intelligence readiness across the country.

Hartnell Ndungi, President of DAMA Kenya, Emmanuel Maiyo(Right), Deputy Data Commissioner for Complaints and Investigations at the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC)(Centre), and Joel Onditi, President and CEO of Pathway Technologies(Left) during the official launch of DAMA Kenya at PrideInn Azure Hotel in Westlands, Nairobi. Photo: Sema News.

The launch, held at PrideInn Azure Hotel in Westlands, Nairobi, brought together data professionals, industry leaders and representatives of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) to champion professional standards and responsible data management.

DAMA Kenya President Hartnell Ndungi said the chapter seeks to bring order and consistency to a profession that has evolved through decentralised innovation, with organisations adopting different approaches to managing data.

“The future is data. It is a future skill,” Ndungi said, noting that data literacy would increasingly become essential across professions, including accounting, healthcare and retail.

He announced that DAMA Kenya was opening its doors to new members through a free membership offer running until the end of 2026, urging professionals to register through its official website, damakenya.org.

Ndungi said the association would establish professional standards, promote knowledge-sharing and offer digital training alongside networking opportunities to build a stronger data management community.

Representing the ODPC, Deputy Data Commissioner for Complaints and Investigations Emmanuel Maiyo emphasised that data management must go hand in hand with protecting citizens’ privacy and upholding their legal rights.

“Data represents people. By every record, every transaction, every identifier, they are people,” Maiyo said, stressing that organisations must process personal information lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely under the Data Protection Act, 2019.

He welcomed DAMA Kenya’s professional development initiative, saying stronger data governance would help organisations identify, secure and responsibly manage personal information while improving compliance with data protection requirements.

Maiyo also called on the association to collaborate with the ODPC by contributing professional expertise to guidance notes and promoting privacy-conscious practices, including privacy by design and by default.

Meanwhile, Pathway Technologies President and Chief Executive Officer Joel Onditi, whose company is DAMA Kenya’s official training partner, said technological investments would deliver limited value without reliable and well-governed data.

“You cannot build technology and intelligence on poorly managed data,” Onditi said, urging professionals to pursue the Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) qualification to strengthen their expertise and support organisations’ digital transformation efforts.

He said the partnership would combine internationally recognised data management standards with practical industry experience to equip professionals with skills in data governance, quality, architecture and security.

The launch comes as organisations increasingly embrace artificial intelligence and digital services, raising the need for reliable data, skilled professionals and stronger safeguards for personal information.

DAMA Kenya aims to position data management as a core professional discipline while fostering collaboration between industry, government and practitioners to support Kenya’s digital transformation.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Experts Urge Kenya to Turn Waste Into Jobs Through Circular Economy

Image
By Michael Nyamai - Nairobi, Kenya, Sept 30, 2026 —  Kenya must accelerate the shift to a circular economy to create jobs, strengthen livelihoods and unlock economic value from waste, experts said at the 11th Annual Circular Economy Conference held in Nairobi on Wednesday. Karine Boomsma, Project Director, Sustainable and Inclusive Business Kenya, addresses the media during the 11th Annual Circular Economy Conference in Nairobi on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.//PHOTO COURTESY: Sustainable and Inclusive Business Kenya Project Director Karine Boomsma said Kenya had made progress in advancing circularity but continued to face policy, compliance and financial challenges. She said the country needed coordinated action across sectors to make the transition economically viable. “We see that still there are barriers but there's also great developments and we're slowly progressing,” Boomsma said, pointing to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as a regulation supporting the circular...
Read more

ISK Unveils Internship Portal to Bridge Gap Between Students and Industry

Image
By Michael Nyamai - Nairobi, Kenya, October 1, 2026 — The Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) has called for stronger collaboration between industry and academia to prepare students for a rapidly changing geospatial, surveying and real estate sector driven by technology, data and evolving market demands. ISK President Eric Nyadimo, Deputy President Nelly Mbugua, OGW, and other officials during a media briefing during the inaugural ISK Students’ Conference at the University of Nairobi on October 1, 2026.//PHOTO COURTESY: Speaking during the inaugural ISK Students’ Conference at the University of Nairobi, ISK President Eric Nyadimo, said the conference marks the beginning of a new annual initiative aimed at bridging the gap between classroom learning and the realities of the workplace. Held under the theme “Beyond the Classroom: Preparing Students for the Future of Geospatial and Real Estate,” the conference brings together students, academic lecturers, public sector officials and te...
Read more

2027 Polls: Leaders Warn Against Ethnic Divisions, Call for National Unity

Image
By Michael Nyamai - Nairobi, Kenya, October 15, 2026 - Leaders have warned that political and ethnic divisions could threaten Kenya’s unity ahead of the 2027 General Election, urging politicians and young people to uphold constitutional values and reject actions that could tear the country apart. Josiah Musili, EBS, Secretary for National Cohesion and Values, addresses participants during the 2026 World Values Day celebrations at Kenya Railways Headquarters in Nairobi. PHOTO COURTESY: Speaking during the 2026 World Values Day celebrations at Kenya Railways Headquarters in Nairobi, Secretary for National Cohesion and Values Josiah Musili, EBS, called on Kenyans to embrace patriotism, national unity, democracy and public participation as enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution. “We can have elections without tearing the country apart. We can have one country even after the elections,” Musili said, stressing that promoting national values was a collective responsibility that extended ...
Read more