Government to Sell Anonymised eCitizen Data Through New Marketplace to Raise Revenue

The Kenyan government is moving to establish a national marketplace for the sale of non-personal, anonymised and aggregated public data collected through digital platforms such as eCitizen. The initiative aims to generate additional revenue and support better planning across sectors.

According to a policy proposal from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, only non-personal data will be sold. This includes trends in business registrations, demand for government services, passport and immigration application volumes by region, birth, death and marriage registration patterns, vehicle registration statistics, land transaction volumes, traffic flow data and crop production figures by area.

Personal identifiers such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, national identification numbers or images will not be included. All data will be anonymised and aggregated in line with the Data Protection Act, 2019.

The proposed marketplace would allow businesses, researchers, non-governmental organisations, innovators and other entities to access these datasets. The government expects to sell at least 1,000 datasets over the next five years. The platform itself is projected to cost up to KSh 396 million to build and operate over that period, with the expectation that revenue will exceed the investment.

Officials describe data as a strategic national asset. They argue that a regulated marketplace would unlock economic opportunities, improve government planning and deliver societal benefits through evidence-based decision making. Clear licensing models, pricing tiers including free access for public good uses, and transparent revenue handling are proposed.

The move comes as the government seeks new revenue streams amid fiscal pressures. eCitizen and other digital services have generated large volumes of data over the years, much of which remains under-utilised for commercial or research purposes.

Public reaction on social media has been mixed, with many expressing concern. Some users questioned whether anonymisation would truly prevent re-identification when datasets are cross-referenced with other information. Others raised fears about trust in government data handling and compared the approach to countries tightening data protection rules elsewhere.

Critics also pointed to broader frustrations over revenue-raising measures, arguing that existing avenues should suffice if leakage and waste were addressed. Supporters, however, see potential for data-driven innovation in areas such as market research, urban planning and academic studies.

For the construction and infrastructure sector, aggregated data on land transactions, vehicle registrations, traffic flows and business activity could offer useful insights for market analysis, project planning and tender preparation. Developers and contractors often rely on such trends to assess demand in specific regions.

The policy emphasises that the marketplace will operate within existing legal frameworks. It proposes safeguards to ensure data is used lawfully and that revenue benefits the public. Details on exact pricing, access procedures and oversight mechanisms are expected to be fleshed out in coming months.

Implementation will require coordination across government agencies that generate data. The ministry has invited public input on the draft policy as part of the development process.

Kenya has positioned itself as a regional leader in digital government services through eCitizen and related platforms. This data monetisation push represents an attempt to extract further value from that digital infrastructure while navigating privacy expectations.

As discussions continue, stakeholders in technology, research and business communities will watch how the marketplace balances revenue goals with public confidence in data protection. The outcome could set a precedent for how other African governments approach the commercial use of public datasets.