Information Communications Technology Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has announced that the government was considering employing some of the scammers operating within the dreaded Kamiti Maximum Security Prison due to the requisite skills they possess.
In an interview on Inooro TV on Sunday, May 29, Mucheru noted that his ministry was working towards diverting the energy and resources of the scammers to be used for useful purposes - particularly those who are technology-literate.
According to the CS, over 100 people from the syndicate are already working with the government to sensitise other scammers in order to change their ways and get absorbed in the corporate sector.
"Yes, those people we want to divert their energy to be used for useful purposes so that they can leave that work as they already have the technical knowledge. So we want to sensitise them such that their skills can be utilised in government or companies for the benefit of the country."
"It's not a must that they use these skills to cause harm inside prisons. So far, we have about 100 people from the syndicate at hand who we work with in order to sensitise others. It is a process," he stated.
Alluding to the Citizen TV exposé that lifted the lid on the sim card syndicate, Mucheru noted that the government had taken action by either firing or transferring guards who were colluding with the suspects.
He noted that his ministry was pouring more resources to ensure the officers are equipped enough to repress the menace.
"People were fired and others transferred as a result of the exposé. So a lot of work has been done. President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed lots of funds towards sensitising officers and arming them with enough resources to curb this menace. There is not a day that goes by that Interior CS Fred Matiang'i does not talk to the guards in prison to monitor their progress," Mucheru noted.
"Many people have been arrested but in most cases you find Kenyans falling victim to the scams by giving out their pins, and transferring their money to the scammers' phones. In such cases, we can not assist you. As you can see, many people are being taken to court over millions of cash some including former governors. This is because we have systems in place which track the trail of the cash from the source to where it is channelled," he added.
The ICT CS urged Kenyans to be wary of such scams and to take caution when dealing with unknown numbers or messages.
"We have information regarding information security, cyber security so the systems are in place. At times we don't highlight those arrested to the media. We have a role to ensure that people get sensitised about this issue," he reiterated.
On matters of politics, Mucheru reiterated his support for Azimio la Umoja Presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga - saying his support was unconditional and that he did not need to be promised a cabinet position to campaign for the former PM.
"I have not been promised any position and I have not requested any. As we know there are many opportunities in government as well as the private sector so in my case if I'm given or not, I know I can fall back to the private sector," the CS detailed.
