This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
The 2019 population census in Kenya has sparked concerns over the misuse of sensitive personal data, reminiscent of the 2018 Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal.
On August 25, the census exercise kicked off, with enumerators warning Kenyans to remain indoors to be counted. However, barely hours into the exercise, complaints emerged that enumerators were asking people for their identification cards and passport numbers, a clear breach of population census requirements.
Amnesty International joined the chorus of condemnation, with the government's spokesperson attempting to allay growing fears. The collection of sensitive personal data by a government plagued by corruption raises concerns over its potential misuse.
As American politician Michele Bachmann once observed, 'If we look at American history, between 1942 and 1947, the data collected by the Census Bureau was handed over to the FBI and other organizations at the request of President Roosevelt, and that's how the Japanese were rounded up and put into internment camps.'
The 2018 Facebook-Cambridge Analytica incident, in which sensitive personal data leaked and was used for political purposes, casts doubt on the government's assurances of confidentiality.
Furthermore, the government's failure to digitize services, despite promising to do so in 2013, has resulted in billions of shillings being wasted on futile exercises. The last population census was conducted in 2009, with some areas requiring a recount due to inconsistencies.
Given the government's track record, it is reasonable to doubt the accuracy of population census figures. The current exercise is a furtherance of blatant misuse of public funds, with the government failing to provide satisfactory social services, such as equipped hospitals, better schools, and clean drinking water.
As the population census exercise continues, concerns over the misuse of sensitive personal data and the government's ability to plan effectively for its people remain.
