Getting false or misleading information about you corrected or deleted
Constitution of Kenya; Data Protection Act, 2019 · sources read 4 Oct 2026
Every person has the right to have untrue or misleading information that affects them corrected or deleted. Ask whoever holds it, in writing; under the data protection rules they must correct personal data within 14 days if satisfied, free of charge.
- How long
- 14 days to correct your data once they are satisfied it is wrong
- Deadline
- If a public body or private body refuses to correct your information, apply to the Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman) for a review within 30 days of being told.
- Where
- The office or company holding the information; complaints to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
Steps
- Ask the office or company holding your data to correct it. You can use Form DPG 3 and attach documents that prove the right details.
- For records held by a government office, write to the office that keeps the record. Say it is a request to amend your personal information, point out what is out of date, inaccurate or incomplete and how, and say what correction you want. The law says they must fix it within a reasonable time, at their own cost.
- If they have no right to keep the data, or it is irrelevant, excessive or was obtained unlawfully, ask them to erase it.
- For a wrong credit record, write to the credit reference bureau saying which information you dispute.
- If they refuse or ignore you, complain to the Data Commissioner, by speaking to them or in writing.
- Correction of untrue information is a constitutional right, so you can also go to the High Court if it is denied.
Watch out
- Asking for a correction is free.
- If they refuse, they must tell you in writing, with reasons, within 7 days.
- A credit bureau or lender that does not finish investigating your dispute within 21 days must delete the disputed information.
- The Access to Information Act sets no fixed number of days for a correction, only "within reasonable time", and the office must pay the cost.
Who this covers
- Every person affected by untrue or misleading information
Official sources (5)
- Constitution of Kenya, 2010 new.kenyalaw.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Data Protection Act, 2019 (No. 24 of 2019) new.kenyalaw.org · read 4 Oct 2026
- Data Protection (General) Regulations, 2021 odpc.go.ke · read 4 Oct 2026
- Banking (Credit Reference Bureau) Regulations centralbank.go.ke · read 4 Oct 2026
- Access to Information Act, No. 31 of 2016 (Cap. 7M) new.kenyalaw.org · read 4 Oct 2026