Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has called out Safaricom over what he describes as a serious breach of trust in how the company handles customer data.
In a statement via Facebook on Friday, November 1, Omtatah warned that mishandling personal data goes beyond privacy concerns, calling it “a question of life and death.”
He voiced deep concerns that private data is being treated irresponsibly.
"We have witnessed alarming accusations against Safaricom, claiming that they have aided state agents in tracking and abducting citizens. This is a serious violation of trust and raises fundamental concerns about our safety and human rights," he wrote in part.
He called for Safaricom to be held accountable and urged for transparency on the part of the telecom giant.
“We cannot remain silent or negotiate on this issue. We demand transparency and accountability regarding how our data is being used and safeguarded. Our security, our rights, and our lives are at stake,” the Senator added.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah
In response to similar claims, Safaricom released a statement on Thursday evening, pushing back on the allegations.
“Safaricom respects our customers' privacy and adheres strictly to the country’s data protection laws. As such, we do not share any customer data unless explicitly required of us via a court order,” the statement read.
At the same time, Safaricom also clarified how its Call Data Record (CDR) system functions, explaining that it doesn’t offer live location tracking.
Instead, location data is generated only after a call ends or a text is received, directly countering the claims that it enables real-time tracking.
Safaricom added that it recently received an ISO 27701 certification from the British Standards Institute (BSI), a top-level privacy management certification.
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