Interior Permanent Secretary Karanja was shaken up by Martha Karua's tough grilling during a court session over Huduma Number.
Kibicho appeared at the Milimani Law Courts on Wednesday, October 2, as a witness in a case contesting the introduction of the national biometric register dubbed Huduma Namba.
Karua represents human rights agencies who want Huduma Namba to be abolished citing the system's apparent conflict with an individual's right to privacy.
The Standard on Tuesday, October 1, reported that proceedings from an ongoing case challenging the constitutionality of the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS) indicate the Government already had the data it sought to collect.
Another controversial issue Kibicho was in court to expound on was how the state spent Ksh6 billion on a fresh registration without enacting the data protection law.
Karua cornered Kibicho with tough questions on the inclusion of DNA in a new amendment on the Huduma Number case.
"Are aware that if you want personal information, for instance, DNA, you should have a law giving limits of how much information you can take, as informed by article 24 of the constitution?" Karua quizzed.
Kibicho went on to assert that there wasn't an intention to use DNA in any phase of Huduma Number registration.
"Why is there a provision of DNA in the amendments that are subjects of this case?" Karua wondered.
Kibicho, tried to play coy with the grave issue, alleging that his office was only interested in coming up with a digital register.
"Not all Kenyans have the same identity. If we use fingerprints or earlobes for biometrics, not all Kenyans have fingers or earlobes.
"We amended the law, but the definition that was put in the law is the dictionary definition of what biometrics are. Our intention is to do a unique identifier, not a combined identifier."
"In the form, we left an opportunity for a person who has an inability to record that the person's disability," Kibicho defended the government's decision.
Karua alleged that the Kibicho had explained the intention of the government to use such an opportunity to go beyond what was collected despite Kibicho's disagreement.
He however later contradicted himself.
"If we go by the definition of biometrics, the law allows us to collect data beyond the measures we used before," Kibicho differed with his previous sentiment where he had declined.
Business Daily on April 1, 2019, reported that before the amendment, the state required citizens to only provide information about their place of residence and postal address.
On personal identification, the state widened the requirements to include Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) in digital form, voice waves and ear lobe pattern.
The government is also seeking to introduce Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates in the registration of persons, enabling the tracking of their location via satellite.
These are the key issues Human Rights activists are opposed to in the digital registration.
Video courtesy of NTV.
10 People Swept Away While Crossing Flooded River News Just In
