Spy on suspects' phones, not all Kenyans, MP Mwangangi tells CA

Yatta MP Francis Mwangangi at Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa on Saturday, February 18, 2017. /BRIAN OTIENO
Yatta MP Francis Mwangangi at Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa on Saturday, February 18, 2017. /BRIAN OTIENO

Yatta MP Francis Mwangangi has castigated the governments' plan to monitor private mobile phone communications.

He said snooping on phone will amount to invasion of Kenyans' privacy, urging the state not to allow blanket tapping of phones.

Mwangangi asked the government to check only phones of those they suspect to be engaging in particular criminal activities.

"Security agencies can only do so when they suspect someone is up to no good such as drug dealing. But not to everyone," he said.

The legislator spoke at the sidelines of the National Assembly Committee on Administration and National Security meeting in Mombasa.

"Security agencies like NIS our phones, but this time we must be careful," Mwangangi said.

This follows a leaked letter from Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) to mobile phone companies Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom Kenya.

The communications regulator said they want to attach 'black boxes' to the service provider's systems to copy data for monitoring.

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The said data will be passed through a database at the CA's head office.

The plan caused a major uproar among Kenyans who felt the government is trying to gain access to their texts and mobile phone transactions.

CA director general Francis Wagusi denied the claims and lashed out at mobile operators for misleading the public, adding that their intention is not to spy on Kenyans.

"To tell us that we are installing this device for accessing confidential data is a total white lie. We are very disturbed by this misleading information," he said.

Mwangangi on Saturday said that should the CA go on with the plan, Kenya will be the first country to allow private citizens' conversations to be spied on.

"I have heard the CA said otherwise. I hope what they said is true. If that is not the case, it is unjustified and as Parliament, we will follow it up," Mwangangi said.

Wangusi on Friday said contrary to the reports, Device Management System manages the entry of illegal devices and prevents illegal access of information.

"We are protecting you. The DMS facilitates denial of services that are counterfeits and stolen phones. It black lists stolen phones from entering the country," he said.

He said the authority does not have the time to listen to all the over 3 million talk minutes from over 35 million Kenyans.

"Who will have time to listen and read all the text messages? We are the best protectors and nobody can protect you like the CA," he said.

Wangusi maintained that all mobile operators will be required to connect to the DMS.

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