The United States Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman on Tuesday castigated Kenyan authorities over what she termed as a violation of the rights to privacy after a local Kenyan daily published an exposé of how the policy obtained key private details from individuals’ mobile phones.
According to Whitman, the decision of the police to get Kenyans' private details when accessing private data was a breach of the law.
Speaking in Kitale while responding to questions fielded by journalists, the envoy added that it was important for the nation to respect the rule of law and privacy of her citizens.
"I don't know enough about this issue yet. What I will say is that the laws of privacy and rule of law around the rights of a private citizen need to be respected in democracies," Whitman cautioned.
Whitman also called upon the concerned authorities to look into the matter even as more Kenyans have been complaining about a possible breach of privacy.
"Democracies and democratic rights are things that we share with Kenya. I am certain that people will look into this situation. I think we should take it very seriously." she added.
Whitman described that the United States of America was concerned about the declining freedoms and human rights that have been witnessed in Kenya over the recent months.
However, she revealed that her country had already embarked on a strategy to work with the Kenyan government to promote the rights of individuals in the country.
She added that the strategy would also encompass civil society groups to promote the rights of all Kenyans and those living with disabilities.
Whitman at the same time urged the government to end all forms of human rights violations. She added that it was important for protesters to be allowed to express their views without any limitations.
The ambassador’s comments come at a time when she and her country have been facing criticism from Kenyans over their silence when instances of police brutality were recorded at the height of the anti-government protests in June this year.
Kenyans have also been apprehensive about reports that suggest that authorities access key private data to conduct abductions.
