The Worldcoin received another blow as the Kenyan government remains assertive in its decision to suspend the project in the country despite US intervention. The Kenyan Interior cabinet secretary Professor Kithure Kindiki appeared before the parliament of Kenya to reiterate that the government remains adamant about uplifting the suspension of the cryptocurrency project despite pressure from the United States government.
The Worlcoin cryptocurrency project was introduced in Kenya late last year and was suspended by Prof Kithure Kindiki citing uncertainty about the security of the data collected. The cryptocurrency project, upon introduction, compensated Kenyans to volunteer to provide their biometrics data by recording their Iris.
The Kenyan government intervened after suspecting the activities of the Worldcoin project that led to the suspension of the project on August 2nd, 2023. When the Interior CS suspended the Worldcoin project, he mentioned that the safety of the data being collected wasn’t assured. He mentioned that Worldocin would remain suspended until clear grounds about the integrity and security of the financial agreements are provided.
It appears that since the suspension, the United States government has silently been pushing for the resumption of the project in Kenya, as indicated in Prof Kithure Kindiki’s statement to the Kenyan parliament.
According to local media, the Interior CS said “The government has suspended forthwith activities of WorldCoin and any other entity that may be similarly engaging the people of Kenya until relevant public agencies certify the absence of any risks to the general public whatsoever”
Kenya’s conditions for the Worldcoin project
The Kenyan government has been firm about its stance against the activities of Worldcoin within its jurisdiction. The CS stated that appropriate action would be taken against any party who tries to promote Worldcoin activities.
The Capital Market Authority (CMA), the financial regulatory body in Kenya, stated that the project isn’t regulated in the country and warned Kenyans of potentially fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes.
CMA cited that Worldcoin tokens used to compensate Kenyans in exchange for their bimetric data were not actual investment or financial instruments as they are not within its scope. Additionally, The Office of the Data Protection Commission (ODPC), urged Kenyans to be vigilant of such schemes that may result in inappropriate use of sensitive data.
Sam Altman’s Worldcoin Operations in Kenya
Operations for digital registrations made rounds within Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Many Kenyans lined up to become digitally registered in exchange for Worldcoin tokens. The digital registrations majorly involved scanning the Iris to receive a digital identity.
Backed by the approval of Sam Altman, several digital futurists accepted the project in Kenya. By introducing the new concept of proof-of-personhood, the project Worldcoin project seeks to revolutionize the digital identification ecosystem claiming that the data collected could help distinguish robots and humans.
Beyond the government’s suspension of Worldcoin activities within the country, the Court also doubled down on the decision after The ODPC filed a case. The court directed that the data collected by Worldcoin should remain preserved and utilized until the case is closed.
The new developments come after a recent parliamentary hearing where parliamentary legislators on the Public Petitions committee were briefed by the interior CS.
