54%
of Kenyans didn’t know they had a right to privacy (Amnesty International Kenya poll, 2020).
About Ficha Uchi
Data protection,in a language youactually speak.
Ficha Uchi is Open Institute’s campaign to help people in East Africa understand their data rights and use them. Since 2021 we’ve gone from timelines to campuses, matatus and community halls.
15M+
people reached
3
countries
4
phases and a pilot
2021
the year we started
Why we started
Ficha Uchi means
“hide your nakedness.”
Your personal data is the online version of you. Your name, your ID, your number, your face. Leave it out there and anyone can see it.
Kenya passed the Data Protection Act in 2019. A year later, most people still didn’t know it existed. So we set out to change that, one conversation at a time.
90%
didn’t know the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner existed.
How we work
Our approach
Four things we do in every phase, wherever we go.
Speak their language
Sheng, Swahili and plain English. Comics, skits and memes over legal jargon.
Meet people where they are
Campuses, matatus, community halls and local radio. Not just online.
Turn awareness into action
Every session ends with something to do: check, ask, or report.
Work with the regulator
We partner with the ODPC so people know exactly where to go.
Our journey
From timelines to townships
Every phase has its own page with the numbers, the stories and a downloadable report.
- 2021 · Phase 1 Goes digital A national social media campaign that reached 7M+ people online. Read the phase →
- 2023 · Phase 2 On the ground Focus groups in 9 counties, 9 community radio stations and 4.6M reached. Read the phase →
- 2024 · Pilot East Africa test run A month of geo targeted content in Uganda and Tanzania. 1.1M reached. Read the phase →
- 2024 · Phase 3 Going local in Kilifi Data Champions, radio and murals across all 7 sub counties. Read the phase →
- Now · Phase 4 Awareness to action Online across Kenya and on the ground in 6 Coast counties. Read the phase →
Ficha Uchi is a campaign by Open Institute, a non profit based in Nairobi. We work with governments, civil society, citizen groups and private companies to find better ways to achieve sustainable development.
Who we work with
Built with partners who care about your data.
Want Ficha Uchi in your space?
Campus, chama, radio show or county event. Tell us and the crew will come through.