Strengthening data protection in Africa: key issues for implementation

While the regulation of data processing operations is a significant and positive development in the region, lawmakersʼ focus on data protection as an absolute interpretation of the right to privacy has shown not only to limit the scope and efficacy of the data protection laws themselves, but also to limit state authoritiesʼ commitment to protect privacy as a universally recognised human right. [...] Uganda: Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 and the Data Protection and Privacy Regulations, 2020 Ugandaʼs data protection regime is constituted of the aforementioned Data Protection and Privacy Act, 201913 and the Data Protection and Privacy Regulations, 2020.14 The preamble to the Data Protection and Privacy Act specifies that the legislation is intended to .̒..protect the privacy of the indiv. [...] The court found that, ʻThe coercive taking of fingerprints from the fingers of a person and the extracting of its minutiae would thus clearly fall within the scope of the protection afforded to the integrity and privacy of the person .̓ However, the court concluded that ʻsuch interference is proportionate to the legitimate aim, i.e., prevention of identity fraud .̓ 7 . [...] Kenya: The Data Protection Act, 2019, Data Protection (General) Regulations, 2021, Guidance Note on Data Protection Impact Assessment Kenyaʼs data protection law regime, specifically through the Data Protection Act, 2019, the Data Protection (General) Regulations, 2021,40 and the Guidance Note on Data Protection Impact Assessment,41 reins in on the use of ADMs, imposing measures such as requiring. [...] So do the general rights afforded to data subjects under the law, such as the right to request the correction, destruction, or deletion of their personal information when it is necessary, and the right to lodge a complaint to the Information Regulator for any alleged interference with the protection of their personal information.