Dozens of citizens were killed in Kenya as a result of riots seeking to protest the possible signing of a bill that would approve tax hikes on daily services and items, such as internet and fuel, in a plan to raise an additional .7 billion in revenue. The protests, led mostly by young Kenyans who […]
Bitcoin News
Kenya Concludes Worldcoin Investigation
Kenyan police have reportedly closed their investigation of Worldcoin, allowing the latter to resume its activities in the East African nation. The chief legal officer at Tools for Humanity confirmed that Worldcoin would soon resume registering Kenyan users. Tools for Humanity Praises ‘Fair’ Investigation The Kenyan police have reportedly concluded their investigation into Worldcoin, which […]
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Marathon Digital Inks Renewable Energy Deal With Kenya; Crypto Miner to Invest $80M
Marathon Digital Holdings and the Kenyan Ministry of Energy and Petroleum recently signed an agreement which sees the crypto mining firm committing to invest million in Kenya’s digital infrastructure. Following the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing, the Kenyan government will establish a steering committee comprised of ministry officials and executives from Marathon. Joint Steering […]
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Kenya Establishes Working Group to Draft Rules Governing Crypto Entities
The Kenyan government recently established a multi-agency technical working group tasked with developing a framework for regulating and monitoring the cryptocurrency industry. The group, which includes financial regulators such as the Central Bank of Kenya, is set to draft rules for controlling and monitoring Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs). FATF Grey Listing Threat The Kenyan […]
Bitcoin News
Binance Executive Located in Kenya After Escaping Nigerian Custody
Nadeem Anjarwalla, the executive from Binance who escaped custody in Nigeria, has reportedly been found in Kenya. Law enforcement agencies in Nigeria, spearheaded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), are in talks with their Kenyan counterparts about Anjarwalla’s extradition. Nigerian Authorities Want Nadeem Anjarwalla Extradited According to a report, Nadeem Anjarwalla, a Binance […]
Bitcoin News
Kenya Resists US Government’s Lobbying for Worldcoin, Considers Limiting Use of Tiktok
The U.S. government has attempted to persuade Kenyan officials to lift the suspension of Worldcoin’s operations in the country, but these overtures have been rejected, the Kenyan Interior cabinet secretary has said. The Kenyan government is also considering restricting officials’ use of the social media platform Tiktok. No Review of the Suspension Decision The Kenyan […]
Bitcoin News
FATF Grey Listing Concern Prompts Kenya to Establish a Crypto Working Group
The fears that Kenya’s lack of a regulatory framework for overseeing the crypto industry has prompted the government to establish a working group tasked with drafting crypto regulations. Authorities in the East African nation are confident that the approved regulations will designate a sole regulatory body to oversee the cryptocurrency industry. Lack of Regulation Threatens […]
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Kenya Advances Toward Digital Asset Hub Ambition With Virtual Assets Bill – Kenya Blockchain Association
The Blockchain Association of Kenya (BAK) is reportedly on the verge of launching a community-led draft bill, a significant stride towards its objective of transforming Kenya into a hub for digital assets. BAK has expressed its intention to integrate feedback from stakeholders into a revised draft. This updated version of the draft bill is due […]
Bitcoin News
Worldcoin Kenya Controversy: Cabinet Secretary Blasted for Inconsistent Statements About Project’s License Status
A Kenyan parliamentary committee tasked with investigating Worldcoin’s activities in the African country has reportedly censured a government official over his inconsistent statements about Worldcoin’s license status. The committee also said it found that Worldcoin’s “Orbs” were not approved by the Communications Authority of Kenya as required by law.
Worldcoin Allegedly Operated Without a License
The Kenyan parliamentary committee investigating Worldcoin’s activities in the country recently censured the Kenyan ICT cabinet secretary Eliud Owalo over his previous pronouncements about the crypto project’s license status. The committee, chaired by Gabriel Tongoyo, said inconsistencies in Owalo’s statement issued on Sept. 11 suggest that Worldcoin may have operated for just over a year without the requisite license.
As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, Owalo is widely believed to have initially backed the crypto project. However, the cabinet secretary later appeared to make an about-face when he accused Worldcoin of not adhering to the requirements of its registration license. In response, the Kenyan parliament launched a committee charged with establishing the facts about Worldcoin’s license status, among other things.
According to a report in The Nation, the parliament committee has now determined that Owalo’s testimony undermines Worldcoin’s license claims.
“In the said submission, the CS [Cabinet Secretary Owalo] noted that Worldcoin started collecting data in public places on May 31, 2021, and applied for registration as data controllers in Kenya on August 22, 2022, one year after commencing their activities in Kenya, contrary to the Data Protection Act of 2019,” the committee wrote in its report.
However, the committee noted that Owalo has denied proclaiming that Worldcoin’s activities in the country were above board.
‘Orbs’ Not Approved
Meanwhile, in addition to the licensing issues, the Kenyan parliamentary committee said it also found that Worldcoin’s eyeball scanning devices, or “Orbs,” were not approved by the Communications Authority of Kenya. The committee further alleged that Worldcoin’s transfer and storage of user data to Amazon Web Services servers in South Africa violated section 48 of the Data Protection Act.
Concerning the license status of Tools for Humanity Corp and Tools for Humanity Gmbh Germany, two companies behind the Worldcoin project, the committee said:
“The two companies do not appear in the Business Registration Service database of registered businesses or companies in Kenya and hence lack the legal mandate to transact any business in Kenya according to provisions of the Companies Act, 2015.”
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Worldcoin’s Tools for Humanity Claims to Have Invested Nearly $4.8 Million in Kenya
Nearly .8 million has been used to fund cryptocurrency and blockchain education efforts in Kenya, the CEO of Tools for Humanity, Alex Blania, recently revealed. Blania also denied allegations that Worldcoin plans to sell users’ biometric data obtained via its eyeball-scanning orbs.
More Funding on the Way
Tools for Humanity (TFH), the organization supporting the development and growth of Worldcoin’s ecosystem, has so far invested nearly .8 million in Kenya, the software company’s CEO Alex Blania recently revealed. Speaking before the East African country’s parliament, Blania claimed that the money was used to fund cryptocurrency and blockchain education efforts.
However, according to a report in The Star, TFH did not directly engage in such education-related activities. Instead, it relied on third parties and partners such as Strathmore University, the Blockchain Association of Kenya, the American Chamber of Commerce, and the Africa Blockchain Centre. According to Blania, TFH is also planning to add more funds towards such activities.
Blania’s appearance before the legislative body came a few weeks after the Kenyan government suspended Worldcoin’s activities. As reported by Bitcoin.com News, the suspension was made to give Kenyan agencies time to assess the cryptocurrency project’s potential risks to public safety. Prior to the government’s suspension decision, the country’s data regulating agency had warned Kenyans against sharing their personal data with the entity.
Worldcoin Not Planning to Sell User Biometric Data
Reacting to these as well as other allegations made against Worldcoin, Blania said:
We wish to emphasise the Worldcoin project’s long-term commitment to Kenya. Our commitment to the people of Kenya is genuine, and we have at all times endeavoured to operate honestly, compliantly and above all transparently.
The CEO also rejected claims that Worldcoin intends to sell users’ biometric data obtained via its eyeball-scanning orbs.
Meanwhile, a Kenyan technology lawyer, Meshack Masibo, recently questioned the validity of Worldcoin’s claim that Kenyans were freely sharing personal data. According to the lawyer, this argument is not sustainable because there is no easy way to prove that users were fully aware of what they were agreeing to.
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