One of the main goals of our active citizenship work is making sure that data is widely accessed and used not just by governments but by citizens. We cannot achieve true data democracy when citizens are not involved in an active way in the data life cycle. We need to move away from only seeing…
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We launched the #FichaUchi campaign to raise awareness about the inadvertent exposure of personal information among Kenyan citizens. Through a series of talk shows broadcasted on community radios across nine counties in Kenya, we sought to shed light on data protection and educate citizens with knowledge about their rights. The discussions touched on various facets…
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As we celebrate International Women’s Day it is important for us to recognise the important role women play in shaping communities and promoting sustainable development. Take Janet Chanzera who lives in Kilifi County for example. Despite facing tough economic conditions, as a wife and a mother to five children, she has been able to fend…
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Meet Jamila, a 24 year old ambitious young woman living in Nairobi. Jamila loves dancing almost as much as she loves volunteering at her local community centre where she has served for 6 years. So she knows about the challenges her community faces but sometimes she wishes things were different. She wishes young girls could…
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The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) continues to lead the way in championing Citizen Generated Data in Kenya. On 22nd November the KNBS inaugurated their Technical Working Committee on Citizen-Generated Data (CGD) to strengthen stakeholder collaboration in adoption of quality CGD as an alternative source of data for official reporting where data gaps exist,…
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When seeking care at health centres in the recent past, patients were bound to physical pamphlets or cards. The landscape, however, is changing rapidly, with electronic health records (EHR) ushering in a new era of healthcare accessibility. Even though technology has unquestionably transformed society, not all African nations have completely embraced this digital transition. There…
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As we approach 2024, data privacy has become an increasingly relevant topic. Just this July 2023, Kenya faced a pivotal moment when the e-Citizen government platform, entrusted with our most sensitive personal information, fell victim to a cyberattack. It was a Distributed denial-of-service (DDOC) attack that would see many Kenyans locked out of their government…
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In March 2020, the world as we knew it changed. The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to transform our homes into offices, adapt to a new way of working, and find creative solutions to maintain our productivity. After the second surge of infection ravaged the globe, it was clear that working from the office posed a…
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In our ongoing journey to educate communities through data-driven initiatives, the Open Institute remains committed to supporting Nandi County. Our latest endeavor involves the systematic update of the Nandi county’s data desk, with a phased approach centered around key sectors: Health, Education, and Agriculture. Data Transformation in Phases Our project kicked off in October with…
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While data generated by National Statistical Organisations (NSOs) and corporations has long been the focus of attention, there’s a growing recognition of the significance of Citizen Generated Data (CGD). CGD is data produced at the grassroots level by individuals, often through their daily activities and interactions. Through CGD citizens are not just data subjects but…
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