CS Owalo’s Stand: Contradicting Kindiki Explained
Wednesday, ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo explained why his ministry and the Ministry of Interior issued contradictory statements regarding the Worldcoin scandal.
Owalo explained, when he appeared before MPs to cast light on various issues in his ministry, that the discrepancy between the statements was due to his ministry’s assessment, which had initially determined that Worldcoin’s operations in the country were legal and above board.
Owalo expressed regret over the circumstance and clarified that his ministry never intended to portray the government in a negative or confused light. He emphasized that his ministry has since taken the necessary corrective measures.
“According to the information I had at the time, the corporation was legally collecting and processing data in the country.
“Worldcoin was not registered as a company in Kenya, but as a data processor, which, according to the Data Protection Act, gave them the legal right to be in the country,” Owalo explained.
Owalo struggled to clarify his information’s source, which appeared to differ from that of Interior CS Kindiki.
MPs were also curious as to why a company that was prohibited from processing data in another country was permitted to freely harvest data in Kenya.
In response to the query, Owalo explained that Worldcoin presented itself as a trustworthy technology company due to its extensive experience in data mining and processing.
In addition, the ICT Cabinet Secretary stated that, despite privacy concerns, the world is rapidly entering the era of artificial intelligence, and its adoption is inevitable.
The legislators expressed concern over the possibility that the data collected from Kenyans could be misused.
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The questioning of Owalo occurred one week after he claimed that Worldcoin was operating legally in the country, prompting MPs to summon him after various stakeholders voiced concerns over the security of Kenyans’ data. The Cabinet Secretary stated at the time that the government was cognizant of the company’s operations.
The cabinet secretary at the time claimed that Worldcoin had obtained approval from the relevant agencies months before beginning data collection by scanning Kenyans’ eyes.
“This began during April. During an interview, Owalo stated, “We have a fully-fledged Data Commissioner’s office charged with regulating data security and privacy.”
The Office of the Data Commissioner learned of Worldcoin in April and sent them a letter to clarify their intentions.
However, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki stated minutes later that the cryptocurrency company was not authorized to operate in Kenya.
“An application for a certificate of registration only indicates that the entity has complied with sections 18 and 19 of the Act. It does not endorse an entity’s compliance with the Data Protection Act or its subsidiary regulations, nor does it authorize the operations of an entity,” CS Kindiki stated.
Kindiki, who appeared before the same MPs, stated that his Ministry has taken steps to close the investigation until the facts are established.
“Furthermore, it does not constitute certification of an entity’s processing activities or an endorsement by this Office of an entity’s compliance with other provisions of the Act or other laws,” Kindiki explained.
CS Owalo’s Stand: Contradicting Kindiki Explained
