Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki revealed on Thursday that the government is currently conducting a forensic analysis of the hardware components used by OpenAI to collect data from Kenyan citizens in connection with its Worldcoin activities in Kenya.
Appearing before the Senate Ad Hoc committee, which is investigating the suspended cryptocurrency project, the CS reported that a total of 48 Orbs, electronic devices, and various items associated with the project were confiscated from agents affiliated with Tools for Humanity as part of the investigation.
“The National Security agencies have also recovered assorted documents and recorded twenty-six statements from witnesses and other persons of interest and are currently being analysed.
“The investigations will be expedited in consideration of the public interest and national security concerns, and those found culpable shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” CS Kindiki said.
The Minister also explained why the owners of Tools for Humanity, the parent firm of World Coin have not been arrested despite their contravening the law.
“They tried to leave the country but were stopped and put in custody but the US government intervened saying they would be allowed to leave because they haven’t yet been found guilty,” Kindiki said.
He added that the United States government has pledged to cooperate with the local government to ensure that the owners are apprehended and brought to justice once they are found guilty.
The Interior Boss at the same time expressed his skepticism about the safety of Worldcoin’s activities, citing the fact that the company had been operating without official clearance from the government.
“Citizen data is a sovereignty issue. They harvested data here operating outside the law. I know I run the risk of being told I’m standing in the way of commerce but as a security manager, I need to know who is behind any crypto the source of their investment and who is doing what because if we allow anything that will harm the people of Kenya I will be asked,” Kindiki said.
The CS said the government is committed to retrieving and recovering the data collected from Kenyans. He assured the committee that “by the 30th of September, we will have a preliminary output to this investigation that can satisfy this committee.”
