Public Data Is a National Asset, Not a Revenue Generation Tool
Kenya’s proposal to commercialise non-personal data collected through platforms such as eCitizen has sparked an important conversation about digital governance, privacy, and public trust. While public sector data has significant economic and social value, experts argue that any effort to monetize it must prioritize transparency, accountability, and citizen protection over short-term revenue generation.
Properly managed, public data can fuel innovation, improve public services, strengthen policymaking, and support economic growth. However, if commercialisation is pursued without strong governance, it risks undermining the trust citizens place in digital government services.
Public Data Has Value Beyond Revenue
Governments collect vast amounts of information through the delivery of public services. Data generated from passport applications, tax filings, business registrations, education systems, healthcare, licensing, and other government interactions can provide valuable insights for research, infrastructure planning, investment decisions, and service delivery.
Universities can use anonymised datasets to study social and economic trends. Businesses can better understand markets. Researchers can develop new healthcare, agriculture, transport, education, and financial solutions. Public agencies can make more informed policy decisions.
These benefits demonstrate that public data is a strategic national resource capable of creating long-term public value.
Why Public Trust Matters
Unlike private companies, governments collect much of their data because citizens are legally required to provide it.
People submit personal information to access essential services, comply with legal obligations, pay taxes, obtain identification documents, register businesses, and interact with public institutions.
This relationship is fundamentally different from voluntarily sharing information with commercial digital platforms.
Citizens provide their data based on trust that government institutions will use it responsibly and protect it appropriately. While the State may legally manage this information, maintaining public confidence remains essential for the success of digital government initiatives.
Non-Personal Data Is Not Risk-Free
Supporters of data commercialisation often point out that only “non-personal” or anonymised data would be shared.
However, experts caution that removing names or identification numbers does not automatically eliminate privacy risks.
Modern analytics and artificial intelligence can combine multiple datasets to reveal patterns about communities, economic activity, healthcare demand, education levels, mobility, land use, or vulnerable populations. In some cases, previously anonymised information may become identifiable when linked with other available datasets.
For this reason, anonymisation alone should not be considered sufficient protection.
Strong governance requires legal safeguards, ethical oversight, cybersecurity measures, independent audits, accountability mechanisms, and continuous monitoring.
Questions Kenya Must Answer
Before any public data marketplace becomes operational, policymakers should establish clear rules governing how government data may be shared or licensed.
Important questions include:
• Which datasets can be made available?
• Which datasets should remain permanently protected?
• Who can access government data?
• How will access requests be evaluated?
• What oversight mechanisms will exist?
• How will misuse be detected and penalised?
• What role will Kenya’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) play?
• How will citizens be informed about the use of public data?
Answering these questions is essential to maintaining confidence in Kenya’s digital public infrastructure.
Principles for Responsible Data Governance
Experts recommend several safeguards before implementing any public data marketplace.
Transparency
Government agencies should publish clear information about the datasets proposed for sharing, including their sources, intended uses, processing methods, and eligible users.
Independent Risk Assessments
Every dataset should undergo privacy, cybersecurity, and re-identification risk assessments before release, particularly datasets involving health, taxation, education, land records, mobility, social protection, or public finance.
Strong Regulatory Oversight
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner should play a central role in reviewing data-sharing frameworks, auditing compliance, investigating complaints, and enforcing penalties where necessary.
Clearly Defined Limits
Not every dataset suitable for commercial use should be commercialised. Some information may be too sensitive due to national security concerns, public safety, or risks affecting vulnerable populations.
Fair Access
Different users should not automatically receive identical access.
Universities, researchers, civil society organisations, start-ups, county governments, and commercial enterprises have different objectives and risk profiles. Public-interest research should remain affordable, while commercial users should comply with stricter licensing and accountability requirements.
Focus on Public Value
Success should not be measured solely by revenue generated.
A well-governed data economy should improve policymaking, public services, innovation, research, investment, and evidence-based decision-making while protecting citizens’ rights.
Balancing Innovation and Privacy
The discussion surrounding public data should not be viewed as a choice between innovation and privacy.
Both objectives are essential for a modern digital economy.
Kenya has already demonstrated significant progress in digitising public services. The next challenge is ensuring that the data generated through these services is managed responsibly, ethically, and transparently.
A successful public data ecosystem will be built not by maximizing commercial returns, but by demonstrating that government can unlock the value of data while preserving public trust and protecting citizens’ rights.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is public data?
Public data refers to information collected, generated, or managed by government institutions while providing public services such as taxation, healthcare, education, licensing, transportation, and business registration.
2. What is a public data marketplace?
A public data marketplace is a platform through which approved users can access government datasets for research, innovation, commercial applications, or policymaking under defined legal and regulatory conditions.
3. What is non-personal data?
Non-personal data is information that has been processed to remove direct identifiers such as names, identification numbers, or contact details so individuals cannot easily be identified.
4. Is anonymised data completely safe?
Not always. Advances in artificial intelligence and data analytics can sometimes combine multiple datasets to re-identify individuals or reveal sensitive information about communities.
5. Why is public trust important?
Citizens provide information to government because it is often legally required. Maintaining trust ensures people continue using digital government services confidently and securely.
6. What role should Kenya’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner play?
The ODPC should oversee privacy compliance, assess risks, establish standards, investigate complaints, monitor data use, and enforce penalties for misuse.
7. Who could benefit from access to public data?
Researchers, universities, start-ups, businesses, county governments, policymakers, civil society organisations, and innovators can all use properly governed public data to create social and economic value.
8. Should every government dataset be commercialised?
No. Sensitive datasets involving national security, health, taxation, identity, children, vulnerable populations, or critical infrastructure may require permanent protection or strict limitations.
9. What are the benefits of responsible public data sharing?
Responsible data sharing can improve research, policymaking, public service delivery, investment decisions, innovation, infrastructure planning, and economic development.
10. What is the biggest challenge in building a public data economy?
The greatest challenge is balancing innovation and economic opportunity with privacy, cybersecurity, transparency, accountability, and long-term public trust.
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