Fredrick Obura
It may take a longer period for Kenyans to benefit from the explosion
of data brought about by the growth of the internet and mobile
technology in the county.
Stakeholders gathering at the...
International Open Data Day said that
despite many Kenyans having access to information online, the biggest
challenge remains packaging and limited accessibility hampering
decision-making.
“With the growth of mobile technology and the rise in internet
penetration, more Kenyans have access to information online. The biggest
challenge, however, when it comes to data is that; plenty of good data
exists - but there is limited accessibility and uptake for
decision-making and policy advocacy.
“Additionally, data is mostly not well packaged and contextualised for
ease of use by a broad range of stakeholders, which poses a challenge.”
“Data driven decision making and data culture is very important, when we
talk about open data in Kenya, what initiatives are we as Kenyans
undertaking to ensure both,” John Olukuru, the Head of Data Science and
Analytics @iLabAfrica- Strathmore University paused.
The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 guarantees Kenya access to information
and it is therefore important that the public is sensitised more on open
data sources available and the importance of accessing such information
to enable them (citizens) to play their watchdog role more effectively.
“One of the effective ways to make sure we generate an effective loop
is to make sure we safeguard the enforcement entities around data
privacy.” Linet Juma, Project Officer at Local Development Research
Institute.
This year’s open data event in Kenya was organised by a consortium of
partners that include; Development Initiative, @iLabAfrica- Strathmore
University, Africa Practice, Code for Africa, Map Kibera and the Local
Development Research Institute.
The half-day event saw stakeholders
discuss the challenges in the sector and opportunities available as well
as display different open data platforms available in the market.
Speaking during the panel session Catherine Gicheru, Head of Code for
Africa said “Open data should not only be the responsibility of the
government but also the entity should make it easier for citizens to
access information.
There is a need for collaboration”.
Open Data Day is an international annual event for data enthusiasts to
connect and build solutions to complex social issues together with the
community by using open data. 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Open
Data Day.
Over the last decade, Open Data Day has evolved from a small
group of people in a few cities across the world trying to persuade
their governments about the value of open data, to a community of
practitioners and activists that are putting data to use for their
communities globally.
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