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Dr. Margaret Nyambura Ndung’u has secured a seat on the UN’s DPI Safeguards Strategic Advisory Board, months after her brief tenure as Kenya’s ICT Cabinet Secretary ended unexpectedly.
The United Nations Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies and the UN Development Programme created this board to guide countries building digital public infrastructure. The goal is ensuring these systems don’t exclude vulnerable populations or create security risks.
Dr. Ndung’u brings 30 years of ICT experience to the role, including her work developing Kenya’s National Digital Masterplan 2022-2032. Her appointment represents input from countries actively constructing digital infrastructure rather than those with established systems.
Her path to this position has been anything but conventional. President William Ruto appointed her to the cabinet in 2024 following widespread protests, putting her in charge of Kenya’s digital transformation.
Five months later, Ruto replaced her with former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo and nominated her as High Commissioner to Ghana. However, she declined that diplomatic role, citing personal and family reasons.
The nine-member advisory board includes executives from Amazon Web Services, Mastercard, the Asian Development Bank, and government officials from multiple countries.
Their mandate covers advising on governance, building strategic partnerships, and supporting country-level implementations of digital safeguards aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Digital public infrastructure failures carry serious consequences. Systems that exclude rural populations, government platforms that crash during essential services, or cybersecurity gaps that expose citizen data can destabilize entire societies. The safeguards framework aims to prevent these problems.
Dr. Ndung’u’s background spans internet infrastructure, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, and data governance. She contributed to the African Union’s digital transformation strategy for education, health, and agriculture.
Her previous work includes developing the African Union Data Policy Framework and creating internet governance curricula used across 30 African schools.
Before her cabinet appointment, she worked as a consultant at the ICT Authority in the Education Ministry and as Senior Research Manager for Gender Justice in STEM Research in Africa.
The board will focus on mobilizing stakeholders, addressing emerging digital risks, and educating governments about implementation best practices.
Dr. Ndung’u plans to use her national, continental, and international networks to promote understanding of the framework’s importance.
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