Kenya Insights

Tag: Abductions

  • Human Rights Groups Accuse Safaricom of Illegal Data Sharing with Security Agencies

    Human Rights Groups Accuse Safaricom of Illegal Data Sharing with Security Agencies

    Telecom giant allegedly provided unfettered access to customer data without court orders, facilitating tracking and capture of suspects

    Kenya’s largest telecommunications company, Safaricom PLC, faces serious allegations of systematically violating customer privacy rights by providing security agencies with unrestricted access to sensitive customer data without proper legal authorization.

    In a scathing open letter addressed to CEO Peter Ndegwa, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) have accused the telecom giant of engaging in “criminal and unconstitutional practices” that may have facilitated human rights violations by Kenyan security forces.

    Explosive Investigation Reveals Years of Alleged Misconduct

    The accusations stem from an investigation published on October 29, 2024, by journalists Namir Shabibi, Claire Lauterbach, and Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper, which revealed what the rights groups describe as a pattern of illegal data sharing spanning several years.

    According to the investigation, Safaricom allegedly allowed security agencies “routine access to consumer data (including but not limited to call data records and other location data) without a court order, assisting in the tracking and capturing suspects.”

    This practice is particularly concerning given what the rights groups describe as Kenyan security forces’ “reputation for using unlawful tactics, including enforced disappearances, renditions, and extrajudicial killings of suspects.”

    Seven Damning Allegations

    The human rights organizations have outlined seven specific allegations against Safaricom:

    Data Manipulation and Evidence Tampering: The company allegedly handed over responsibility for extracting and handling court-ordered call data records (CDRs) to police officers attached to its Law Enforcement Liaison Office. This created a serious conflict of interest, giving accused security forces the opportunity to “handle the data and conceal evidence of state crime.”

    Falsified Records: Safaricom allegedly released CDRs it certified as authentic despite bearing “signs of manipulation and falsification” in cases involving suspected state-enforced disappearances.

    Obstruction of Justice: The company is accused of habitually declining to provide complete CDRs despite court orders, potentially frustrating the course of justice in investigations of state crimes.

    Unauthorized Surveillance: Security agencies allegedly received routine access to customer data without proper court authorization, enabling them to track and capture suspects.

    Data Retention Deception: Safaricom allegedly retained customer data it claimed had been deleted, including information that could aid in investigating state crimes.

    Surveillance Software Development: In partnership with Neural Technologies Limited, Safaricom allegedly developed software granting security agencies “virtually unfettered access to private consumer data.”

    Predictive Profiling: Police attached to Safaricom allegedly used specialized software to “predictively and preemptively profile Kenyan citizens,” constituting what rights groups call “invasive breaches of customers’ private data rights.”

    Constitutional and Legal Violations

    The rights groups argue these alleged practices make Safaricom potentially liable for violating multiple sections of Kenya’s Constitution, including provisions protecting privacy, dignity, freedom from torture, and access to justice.

    The company may also have violated the Data Protection Act of 2019, which establishes strict guidelines for handling personal data.

    Inadequate Response

    While Safaricom released a public statement on October 31, 2024, attempting to address the allegations, KHRC and MUHURI dismissed it as inadequate, saying the company “conveniently ignored to respond to key findings presented in the investigation.”

    The rights groups characterized Safaricom’s response as a “selective response to grave human rights violations,” failing to address the core allegations about unauthorized data sharing and potential complicity in human rights abuses.

    Demand for Accountability

    In their letter, KHRC and MUHURI demanded that Safaricom “address the substance of the allegations with haste and clarify what steps Safaricom PLC will take to ensure that its data is not used unlawfully, whether by Safaricom staff, Kenyan security forces, or any other third party.”

    The organizations gave Safaricom seven days to respond to their correspondence, setting a deadline that would put additional public pressure on Kenya’s telecommunications leader.

    Implications

    The allegations against Safaricom raise serious questions about corporate responsibility in protecting customer privacy and the role of private companies in potential human rights violations. If proven true, the claims suggest a systematic partnership between Kenya’s largest telecom provider and security agencies that may have facilitated serious human rights abuses.

    The case also highlights growing concerns about digital surveillance and data privacy in Kenya, where telecommunications companies hold vast amounts of personal data that could be misused by authorities.

     

    As Kenya continues to grapple with allegations of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings by security forces, the Safaricom case represents a critical test of corporate accountability and the protection of digital rights.

    The telecommunications giant now faces mounting pressure to provide a comprehensive response to the allegations and implement stronger safeguards to protect customer data from unauthorized access.

    [pdf-embedder url=”https://cms.kenyainsights.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Open-letter-to-Safaricom-over-alleged-breaches-of-customers-data-privacy.pdf”]

    Safaricom PLC has not yet responded to the specific allegations outlined in the human rights groups’ letter.

  • Isiolo Revenue Director Abducted Amid Suspicions Of County Officials and Cartels’ Involvement

    Isiolo Revenue Director Abducted Amid Suspicions Of County Officials and Cartels’ Involvement

    Ali Godana Wako, the recently appointed Director of Revenue for Isiolo County, has been allegedly abducted by unknown individuals, sparking outrage and concerns about a possible connection to county officials and revenue cartels.

    According to multiple local media reports, Godana, a former Isiolo mayor and member of the Warfura clan in the Sakuye community, was taken from outside his home on Wednesday evening.

    The abduction comes just weeks after his controversial appointment to the revenue position.

    Sources close to the investigation suggest that Godana, also known as “Goldy,” may have been targeted due to his recent promotion.

    His daughter, who has reportedly filed a police statement, claims there are suspects who should be questioned.

    “We have recorded statements. There are alleged suspects who are still free. We want those suspects to be detained, investigations to begin, and people to start being questioned. That’s all we want,” she stated.

    Isiolo Woman Representative Hon. Mumina Bonaya has issued a strong condemnation of the abduction, calling for urgent government intervention.

    In her Thursday statement, she expressed “deep concern over the forceful and unexplained disappearance” of Godana and another man, Abdullahi Bosso, who was allegedly abducted by security officers on May 9th along the Kinna-Kulamawe Road.

    Governor Abdi Guyo of Isiolo has also weighed in, describing the incidents as “a troubling pattern of enforced disappearances that undermine the safety, dignity and constitutional rights of Kenyan citizens.” He noted that such actions contradict President Ruto’s public assurances against abductions.

    The timing of Godana’s disappearance has raised suspicions, as it occurred shortly after his appointment to the revenue position.

    According to Sakuye Media Network, “When he was recently confirmed as the director of revenue, several entities including his opponents who were jostling for the same position expressed outrage at his confirmation.”

    Local activists have suggested that cartels within the revenue department might be responsible for his abduction, pointing to potential financial interests that could be threatened by Godana’s appointment.

    Before his promotion to head the revenue department, Godana served as Isiolo town administrator.

    Hon. Bonaya has called on key institutions including the Ministry of Interior, the Inspector General of Police, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights to investigate the cases and ensure justice is served.

    “No Kenyan should live in fear of being taken without cause, without due process, and without communication,” she emphasized, urging civil society, oversight bodies, and the public to demand the release or lawful arraignment of the two individuals.

  • Wajir MCA Freed After 6 Months, Questions Linger Over Alleged Crime Links and Abduction

    Wajir MCA Freed After 6 Months, Questions Linger Over Alleged Crime Links and Abduction

    After 177 days in captivity, Wajir County Assembly Minority Leader Yussuf Hussein Ahmed, the MCA for Dela Ward, walked back into his Eastleigh home on Saturday night, March 8, ending six months of uncertainty for his family and community.

    Alongside him, three other Kenyans, abducted on the same day in Isiolo, were also released, raising fresh questions about their ordeal and Kenya’s escalating abduction crisis.

    While celebrations erupted in Wajir and beyond, the synchronized releases—shrouded in silence from the freed men—have deepened suspicions of state involvement, alleged crime ties, and a possible political motive.

    Ahmed’s nightmare began on September 13, 2024, when he was forcibly taken from a taxi on Nairobi’s Enterprise Road by armed men, suspected to be security officers, wielding AK-47 rifles.

    The abductors, driving unmarked Land Cruiser Prados, whisked him away as taxi driver Kioko Wambua watched helplessly.

    That same day, over 270 kilometers away in Isiolo, three other men vanished under similarly mysterious circumstances, hinting at a coordinated operation.

    For six months, their whereabouts remained unknown, their families left in anguish, and security agencies silent despite a January court order demanding answers.

    On Saturday night, Ahmed was dropped off at Pangani shopping centre in Nairobi by unidentified men who handed him Ksh 5,000 and warned him not to look back.

    Blindfolded until the final moments, he walked into his Eastleigh home around 11 pm, clutching a Quran, to the shock and relief of his wife.

    The three Isiolo men were similarly released at their homes, appearing frail with shaved heads, but—like Ahmed—offering no details of their captivity. “He seemed jovial but frail,” said Elyas Abdille, Ahmed’s cousin and MCA for Rhamu Dimtu Ward in Mandera. “He’s not ready to talk about his ordeal.”

    The releases sparked jubilation in Eastleigh and Isiolo, with Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi confirming Ahmed was “safe and sound” and undergoing medical checks.

    Woman Representative Fatuma Jehow hailed it as “a tidal wave of joy” for Wajirians. Yet, beneath the relief lies a tangle of unanswered questions. Who held them? Why now? And what ties, if any, link Ahmed to the transnational crime he was once suspected of abetting?

    Ahmed’s abduction followed his clearance by the Wajir County Security Committee on August 8, 2024, from allegations of involvement in smuggling and trafficking along the Nairobi-Moyale corridor—a notorious route for arms and human trafficking near Somalia’s border.

    He was also questioned about the August 12 abduction of two South Korean missionaries in Marsabit, linked to the Oromo Liberation Army and possibly Al-Shabaab.

    Though exonerated, his disappearance four days later fueled speculation he was targeted for what he knew—or was believed to know.

    The simultaneous abductions in Nairobi and Isiolo, and now the coordinated releases, suggest a sophisticated operation, with some pointing to state agencies or a criminal network with unusual reach.

    Adding to the intrigue, Ahmed claimed he was held in a torture chamber adjacent to where Kitengela activists Bob Njagi and the Longton brothers were detained after their August abductions—a claim Njagi had previously corroborated. “He could hear Njagi screaming,” a family source told the media.

    While the activists were freed after 32 days, Ahmed and the three others endured 177, emerging malnourished and silent. “The logistics of holding four people for six months, then releasing them together, is staggering,” said a Nairobi security analyst. “This wasn’t random—it’s a message.”

    The case has also reignited debate over Kenya’s surge in abductions, often targeting critics or crime suspects.

    Human Rights Watch has accused security forces of extralegal tactics, a charge the government denies.

    Ahmed’s return, just four days before his seat would have been declared vacant on March 12, has sparked theories of political timing. “Had he not returned, he’d have lost his position,” Abdille noted, urging captors to free others still missing.

    Last October, a mutilated body from Lake Yahud was misidentified as Ahmed’s, prompting protests in Wajir until DNA tests disproved the claim, amplifying distrust in authorities.

    Now, as Ahmed recovers at Nairobi Hospital, leaders like Eldas MP Adan Keynan and Senator Ali Roba demand accountability. “If state agencies are involved, they must follow the rule of law,” Roba said, noting Ahmed’s “worrying” condition suggested torture.

    For now, Ahmed and the three Isiolo men remain tight-lipped, their captors’ identity and motives a mystery as of March 10, 2025. Advocacy groups are pressing for a transparent probe, arguing silence only emboldens impunity.

    As Kenya grapples with borderland crime and governance challenges, this case stands as a stark reminder: even in moments of relief, the shadows of unanswered questions linger.