Amnesty International has condemned reports that some census enumerators are threatening Kenyans who refuse to divulge their ID and passport numbers.
AI said on Sunday that every person has the right to privacy.
It also said Kenyans have the right not to answer questions which will give information about their private affairs which they might not want to be unnecessarily revealed.
It also said every person has the right which safeguards their possessions from being seized.
During a conference regarding the ongoing census exercise, government spokesman Cyrus Oguna said ID card numbers are requested for the purpose of verification and authentication.
"This process is also aimed at weeding out people who have got fake identity cards. When you are asked for ID and passport numbers, please be able to provide them," Oduna said.
Oguna added that the information is not aimed at monitoring persons' activities but to ensure that their identity cards are genuine.
The human right body has asked Kenyans who might be threatened by enumerators for failing to answer their questions to report to them for assistance.
Amnesty said it will treat information received regarding the threats with strict measures.
