The Data Management Association (DAMA), Kenya Chapter, has officially been launched in Nairobi, establishing a national umbrella body for data professionals.
The association also launched an ambitious plan to train over 10,000 data professionals over the next three years through a partnership with Pathways International.
As an affiliate of DAMA International, the global professional association dedicated to advancing the discipline of data management, DAMA Kenya aims to strengthen and professionalise the practice of data management across the country.
The launch also marks a significant milestone for Kenya’s digital economy.
It brings together data professionals, technology leaders, business executives, academics, regulators, government institutions and organisations that depend on high-quality data to make decisions and deliver services.
The association seeks to advance the data-management profession in Kenya by establishing professional standards, developing talent, enabling knowledge exchange, promoting certification, supporting research and helping organisations derive sustainable value from trusted data.
Speaking during the launch event, DAMA Kenya executive President Hartnell Ndungi said the association’s vision is to make Kenya a global leader in responsible, trusted and value-driven data management.
The vision recognises that data is increasingly becoming one of the most important assets of modern organisations and economies.
“DAMA Kenya is particularly relevant to Kenya because the country’s economy is increasingly dependent on digital information. All sectors are generating and consuming unprecedented volumes of data,” Ndungi said.
He added the chapter’s role would be to connect Kenyan data professionals to a globally recognised data-management standard while creating a community that addresses Kenya’s specific data challenges.
“The challenge is no longer simply obtaining data. The challenge is ensuring that data is trusted, governed, secure, accessible, interoperable, understood and used responsibly,’’ said Emmanuel Maiyo, deputy Data Commissioner at the Office of the Data.
He said that DAMA Kenya provides a professional home for the people responsible for solving that challenge.
He said that the government welcomes the launch, highlighting the growing importance of professional data management in the age of artificial intelligence.
“As ODPC, we welcome initiatives that build professional capacity and foster a culture of privacy.”
“DAMA strengthens the very foundation upon which effective privacy and data protection programmes are built,’’ he said.
The chapter provides local professional communities through which Kenyan practitioners can access the internationally recognised certificates, participate in professional development, exchange practical experience and conduct research.
DAMA Kenya has enrolled more than 900 members and 15 corporate partners, with ambitious plans to train over 10,000 data professionals within the next three years.
“The objective is to move the profession from fragmented job titles and individual practices toward recognised professional standards and competencies,” Ndungi said.
He added that the certification pathway allows professionals to demonstrate structured knowledge of data management rather than relying exclusively on job experience.
