DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 11 -- ON January 8, 2026, something important happened and it should make every public and private institution in Tanzania pause.

The Minister for Communication and Information Technology Angella Kairuki, did not issue a polite reminder.

She delivered a final directive: Institutions that collect or process personal data have three months to register with the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) or face the law, without exception. This was not Government routine. It was a line drawn.

Speaking in Arusha at the closing of a specialised training for Data Protection Officers, the Minister made it clear that this grace period is the last one.

After it expires, enforcement begins. No reopening of the window. No expl...