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Abstract:
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Less than two weeks after a January terror attack left 21 people dead at a Kenyan hotel complex, the government announced that it would implement a law related to citizens’ personal data.
The recent amendments to the Registration of Persons Act would allow the government to collect people’s personal information – including DNA samples, biometric data like fingerprints and retinal scans and GPS information to pinpoint their locations. The aim, authorities say, is to enhance security.
But the plan violates Kenyans’ privacy rights. These rights are enshrined in the Constitution and certain sectoral laws that deal with electronic and medical data. Unfortunately, there is no specific legal framework beyond this to guarantee that personal sensitive data is protected and people’s privacy is not violated without cause. |