Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has claimed that a majority of Kenyans support his proposed bill to extend the terms of elected officials from five to seven years. During Senate proceedings on Tuesday, Cherargei stated that 60 percent of Kenyans who participated in the public consultation phase of the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No 2) Bill, 2024 are in favor, while 40 percent oppose it.
His comments sparked skepticism among other senators, who questioned the validity of his claims. Cherargei mentioned that over 500,000 Kenyans had expressed their opinions on the bill, stating, “Even the Senate email is approaching 500,000 responses regarding my bill, with a 60/40 split. Currently, 60 percent support my proposal, while 40 percent do not.”
Additionally, Cherargei raised concerns about data privacy, sharing his own experience as a victim. “For the past week, my phone has been bombarded with thousands of calls and messages. As of now, I have received over 12,000 SMS and nearly 20,000 WhatsApp texts. This is a significant breach of data privacy that remains unaddressed,” he said.
He also commented on reports indicating that police officers had accessed Kenyans’ call records to locate and arrest individuals involved in anti-government protests. A report published by the Daily Nation on Tuesday detailed how telecommunications companies had provided law enforcement with access to sensitive data.
Cherargei urged the Committee of National Security to summon Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to clarify these allegations. “I am disappointed by claims that Safaricom shared triangulation coordinates with the police and DCI to arrest Kenyans, as this infringes on privacy rights,” he emphasized. He further asserted that sharing an individual’s location should require a court order, urging the committee to take action.