Nairobi, Kenya, October 29- Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei claims that most Kenyans support his proposal to extend the terms of elected officials from five to seven years.
During Tuesday’s Senate proceedings, Cherargei stated that 60% of Kenyans who participated in public consultations on the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024, were in favor, while 40% were against. According to Cherargei, the public engagement on the bill involved over 500,000 people, with many sending responses via the Senate’s email, reflecting a split of 60% support versus 40% opposition.
Cherargei’s comments stirred responses from fellow senators who questioned the reliability of his data. He also raised concerns over data privacy, sharing that he has faced a deluge of messages and calls—over 12,000 SMS and nearly 20,000 WhatsApp messages—since the bill gained public attention, which he believes highlights a data privacy issue.
The Senator extended his concerns to broader privacy matters, specifically addressing reports that police had accessed citizens’ call records from telco companies to track and detain individuals involved in anti-government protests. Citing a recent Daily Nation report that revealed telcos had shared this sensitive data with law enforcement, Cherargei called on the Committee of National Security to summon Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja for an explanation.
“I am disappointed by claims that Safaricom shared triangulation data with police to apprehend citizens. This breaches the right to privacy,” Cherargei asserted, adding, “The committee should summon the Police IG to explain why such sensitive data was shared without court orders.
