The Communications Authority (CA) has been forced to respond and explain a secret plan that will see them spy on mobile phone users in Kenya.
This was after the media widely reported a leaked letter that the authority had written to mobile telephone companies requesting to be allowed to tap into the phone calls, messages, and mobile money transactions of their users.
On Friday, CA Director General Francis Wangusi denied the claims of spying and explained that the "black-box" they want installed will allow them to hack and block SIM of users who fail to register in accordance with the law.
Criminals who use stolen and counterfeit phones will also be the subject of this high-tech spying system.
Wangusi added that some of the mobile telephone companies may have been afraid of the technology, referred to as Device Management System (DMS) since they were culpable in the use illegal sim boxes.
"We are protecting you. The DMS facilitates denial of services that are counterfeits and stolen phones. It black lists stolen phones from entering the country," the CA Director-General stated.
The authority has condemned the leakage of the letter given that it had held discussions with stakeholders and they did not raise objections.
Wangusi clarified that they do not have any spying capacity as that would require them to listen to over three million of talk minutes from the 35 million Kenyans who make calls on a daily basis.
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