President William Ruto has announced September 2026 as the target date for the completion of a landmark data adequacy agreement between Kenya and the European Union, a move that could significantly boost the country’s digital economy and attract more global technology investment.
Speaking during his visit to Europe, the President said discussions on the framework, which began in May 2024, are in their final stages and could position Kenya as the first African country to secure such an agreement with the European Union.
Data adequacy agreements allow the free flow of personal data between countries without the need for additional legal safeguards, making it easier and less costly for businesses and organisations to transfer information across borders.
According to Ruto, the agreement is a critical step as Kenya seeks to strengthen its position in the global technology space.
“Technology is the next arena, and data is a very important part of what is going to happen next, technology, whether you are talking about artificial intelligence, cybersecurity that will come with it or the whole technology space,” the President said.
Ruto revealed that the framework is expected to be forwarded to the European Union Parliament for ratification before it can officially take effect.
“We will have a framework that will be taken into the EU Parliament, and hopefully, by early next year, Kenya will be as good as any European country,” he added.
The Head of State expressed confidence that the deal could transform Kenya into a more attractive destination for global technology companies seeking to establish operations in Africa.
Once the agreement is in place, it will mean that the European Union formally recognizes Kenya’s system of data protection as having adequate security standards concerning the management of individuals’ personal information.
The deal will make it easy for Kenyan organizations to export data to the EU member states and create new opportunities especially for companies operating in areas such as technology, business process outsourcing, software development, and customer support services.
The government also anticipates that the deal will offer job creation opportunities to thousands of young people through the hiring of locals by international companies looking to do business in the country.
In terms of cost savings, local firms and startups will find it easy to attract more international investments and business partners because of streamlined data transfer procedures.
As one of the components of the overall digital cooperation agenda, the European Union will pump in about €102 million, equivalent to Ksh15 billion, through the EU-Kenya Digital Partnership program.
The funds will be channeled into important infrastructure projects such as laying down fiber optic cables, deployment of public wireless internet connection, and establishing greenhouses in Kenya to house local data centers.