MCK CEO among 13 Kenyans shortlisted for Data Commissioner job [full list]

The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) Chief Executive Officer David Omwoyo is among 13 candidates shortlisted for the position of Data Commissioner, the head of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).

Omwoyo, who has served as MCK's CEO and Secretary to the Council, will compete for the position alongside 12 other candidates drawn from different parts of the country.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) in a notice on September 29, 2026, said it shortlisted the candidates after receiving 152 applications following its advertisement for the position in August 2026.

The application window closed on September 14, with interviews scheduled to begin on Monday, October 5, 2026, at the PSC headquarters along Harambee Avenue in Nairobi.

The 13 candidates scheduled for interviews are:

Nooseli Moses Lemayian – Narok – 8am

Otieno Oscar Onyango – Siaya – 8:30am

Shalle Mohamed Abdi – Garissa – 9am

Sitieni Lydia Chelagat – Trans Nzoia – 9:30am

Nyale Duncan Kubahasitsha – Kilifi – 10am

Kirwa Solomon – Uasin Gishu – 10:30am

Anditi Stephen Odhiambo – Homa Bay – 11:30am

Lobuin Isaac Eragae – Turkana – noon

Omwoyo David Omwoyo – Nakuru – 12:30pm

Mbiuki Jasper Micheni – Tharaka-Nithi – 2pm

Cheronoh Lynnett – Bomet – 2:30pm

Abdi Mohamed Hussein – Isiolo – 3pm

Nyongesa John Walubengo – Bungoma – 3:30pm

According to PSC, the candidates will be required to present original identification documents, academic and professional certificates, supporting testimonials and statutory clearances from institutions.

These include the Kenya Revenue Authority, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Higher Education Loans Board, a registered Credit Reference Bureau and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

Members of the public have also been invited to submit credible information concerning the shortlisted candidates to the PSC before the October 1 deadline.

Omwoyo is the current CEO and Secretary to the Media Council of Kenya, the statutory body responsible for regulating the media industry and promoting professional and ethical journalism in the country.

According to MCK's official profile, the CEO has more than 15 years of experience spanning journalism, media training and management across the public, private, religious and non-governmental sectors.

Before joining MCK, Omwoyo served as Managing Director of Waumini Communications and as Communications Director for the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he spent six years and oversaw the growth of a nationwide media network.

He also worked at Egerton University as Fundraising and Donor Relations Manager, focusing on institutional advancement and donor relations.

His profile further records his role in coordinating the establishment of more than 18 community radio stations aimed at promoting community dialogue, peace and rural development.

Omwoyo has also taken on regional and international media leadership roles.

In July 2025, he was elected chairman of the East Africa Press Councils, while also being elected president of the World Association of Press Councils.

The vacancy comes as the first holder of the country's Data Commissioner position, Immaculate Kassait, approaches the end of her tenure.

Kassait was appointed in November 2020 and became Kenya's inaugural Data Commissioner following the establishment of the ODPC under the Data Protection Act, 2019.

Contemporary documentation records her appointment as a single, non-renewable six-year term, placing the end of her tenure in 2026.

During her tenure, the ODPC developed the institutional and regulatory framework for enforcing Kenya's data-protection regime.

Kassait also chaired a task force involved in developing regulations that operationalised the Data Protection Act.

The office is responsible for regulating the processing of personal data, protecting individuals' privacy rights, investigating complaints and overseeing compliance by data controllers and processors.

Its work has become increasingly significant as Kenyans interact with digital financial services, social media platforms, government databases, e-commerce systems and other services that involve the collection and processing of personal information.

The ODPC has, under Kassait's leadership, handled complaints and enforcement matters involving organisations accused of violating data-protection requirements.

Also, the office has expanded its institutional systems and regional presence, including the launch of an ISO 9001:2015 quality management system in 2026.

The 13 shortlisted candidates will face interviews on October 5, after which the PSC is expected to proceed with the next stages of the recruitment process.