Senator Cherargei Raises Concerns Over Safaricom’s Role in Recent Abductions

Nairobi, December 26, 2024 – Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has publicly questioned Safaricom’s possible involvement in the ongoing series of abductions in Kenya.

On his X page, Cherargei pointed to a pattern where those abducted were predominantly Safaricom subscribers, suggesting a potential privacy and data breach.

“Now that the police have confirmed that they are not aware who is abducting Kenyans, should immediately tell Kenyans who is doing the abduction in the country. Is it coincidence that all abductees are users of Safaricom line? He posed.

Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom, Kenya’s leading communications company in Africa, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), speaks during an interview with AFP at the company’s headquarters in Nairobi on Septemer 11, 2020. – Safaricom is also the pioneer of M-PESA, the world’s most developed payment system. (Photo by Simon MAINA / AFP) (Photo by SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images)

He emphasized the need for transparency regarding Safaricom’s data practices, especially in light of allegations that the company might be sharing user data with government agencies without consent. This comes at a time when Kenya has seen a spike in abductions, raising public concern over privacy and security.

Safaricom has previously denied such accusations, arguing that any data sharing complies with legal frameworks. However, Senator Cherargei insists on a thorough investigation by the Senate’s ICT Committee to clarify whether Safaricom’s data collection goes beyond operational requirements compared to other telecom providers.

Rising Concerns Over Abductions of Kenyan Social Media Influencers

In recent developments, Kenya has seen a disturbing trend where individuals are reportedly targeted and abducted, with their fates ranging from disappearance to death, or re-emerging profoundly traumatized. The common thread among these victims? Their use of social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), to voice dissent against government policies or figures.

Among those who have vanished are Peter Muteti Njeru, abducted in Uthiru, Nairobi, and Kavuli Benard, a well-known media personality taken in Ngong Town. In Embu, Billy Mwangi was also seized, while Naomi and Bull Kibet, the latter a fierce critic of President William Ruto, have also disappeared.

Bull Kibet’s social media activity included satirical content like silhouettes and images ridiculing the administration, notably one where Ruto was portrayed dancing amidst a shower of money, symbolizing alleged corruption. Another X user was abducted after sharing an AI-generated image of Ruto in a coffin, underscoring the sensitivity around political critique online.

The timing of these abductions, particularly following a mysterious nationwide network outage by Safaricom during protests against the Finance Bill in June, has raised eyebrows. Many are now questioning whether there’s a connection between the telecom’s data practices and these abductions, as all victims were active users of Safaricom’s services.

This series of events has not only alarmed the public but also sparked debates about privacy, freedom of speech, and the potential misuse of personal data by telecom giant in Kenya combined with Safaricom’s unexplained nationwide network outage during anti-Finance Bill protests on June 25, have fueled public suspicion about the company’s potential complicity.