National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has instructed Interior CS Kithure Kindiki and ICT counterpart Eliud Owalo to provide the House with details about Worldcoin Cryptocurrency tokens within a week.
Wetang’ula wants the CSs to explain how the company was registered. He has also instructed them to disclose measures taken to protect the security of the data already harvested. Additionally, the officials will clarify whether the data collected violates the security of those involved. Wetang’ula has also suggested that the data protection department be excluded from the ongoing investigation due to potential conflicts of interest.
Kindiki on Wednesday stated that the government has already identified all individuals involved in the registration of citizens through the collection of eyeball/iris data. The CS informed Parliament that local agents of the foreign firm have already given statements, and security agencies are pursuing their accomplices who are currently abroad. Kindiki also revealed that relevant security, financial services, and protection agencies are conducting inquiries and investigations to determine the authenticity and legality of the aforementioned activities.
The CS also addressed concerns of Members regarding the operations of Worldcoin in Kenya. The MPs were worried about the safety of the data collected and whether it could be used against Kenyans who participated in the exercise. Notably, hundreds of Kenyans queued at KICC to scan their eyeballs and receive the Worldcoin cryptocurrency tokens valued at Sh7,700.
Worldcoin is a crypto wallet app launched on July 24, 2023, which uses a combination of biometric registration and cryptocurrency to create a new kind of global identity service. Sam Altman, the CEO of Open AI, co-founded Worldcoin with the aim of creating a global financial network. Currently, the app is available in major cities across the world.
However, the government issued a directive on July 30, 2023, ordering Worldcoin to stop processing irises and facial recognition data in Kenya, and on August 2, 2023, the State instructed the firm to cease all operations in the country.
Kithure Kindiki, Samoei,…
Kithure Kindiki, Samoei, Rigathi, na Muturi. Nawaombeni msome Katiba Mpya ya kenya kwa sababu vitendo vyenu nchini, vyaonyesha dhahiri ya kwamba bado hamjasoma Katiba yetu mpya ya Kenya.