Kenyan Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kithure Kindiki, has declared that Kenya is standing firm against pressure from the United States to lift the suspension of WorldCoin's cryptocurrency project. Addressing members of the Kenyan parliament, Kindiki affirmed the government's decision to maintain the suspension enacted in August 2023.

"The United States has been exerting pressure on us regarding WorldCoin, but our stance is unwavering,"

Prof Kindiki reported to the parliament's Public Petitions committee.

"Despite their belief in WorldCoin's potential here, our position remains unchanged. The suspension we imposed will stand; there will be no reconsideration."

This revelation came as Prof Kindiki appeared before a committee processing a public petition to ban the Chinese social media app TikTok, chaired by Kuria East MP Marwa Gitayama. He mentioned the government's intention to regulate TikTok's operations similarly to how it handled WorldCoin, particularly concerning the collection of Kenyan citizens' biometric data through iris scanning.

Kenyan Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kithure Kindiki

WorldCoin's challenges in Kenya trace back to its introduction by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The project, which offered digital identification and free cryptocurrency in exchange for users' iris scans, quickly gained nearly 2 million participants in its trial phase.

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Kenya, the first African country to welcome WorldCoin, saw a significant turnout at its launch, with citizens eagerly participating in iris scanning sessions. However, the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) soon raised concerns over potential fraud and privacy issues, leading to the suspension of WorldCoin's operations and the seizure of its assets during a police raid.

The ongoing investigation by a parliamentary committee, led by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, aims to thoroughly examine WorldCoin's practices and the risks they pose. With a deadline to report their findings, the committee's investigation underscores the Kenyan government's serious concerns about the security implications of collecting and registering citizens' iris data.