Ahead of Thursday’s ‘Occupy Parliament’ protests, an international but decentralized group of hackers known as ‘Anonymous’ has warned the Kenyan government to adhere to the rule of law in regard to handling demonstrations.
The group disseminated the message through the social media accounts, in an ominous fashion of a Guy Fawkes mask, threatening to expose the corrupt practices of government officials. During the ‘Occupy Parliament’ protests on Tuesday, hundreds of protestors were arrested and there were reports that live bullets were fired at different groups.Although the protests were peaceful, police lobbed teargas canisters at protesters, even in some instances injuring themselves. “It has come to our attention that there are discussions in parliament to pass the finance bill, which will unfairly tax the citizens of Kenya. Kenyans attempting peaceful demonstrations are being unfairly harassed, arrested, and shot at with live bullets by the police force under your command,” the message from Anonymous began.
Social media activism has been on the rise over the last few weeks, as members of the public shared contacts of their MPs in order to urge them to reject the Finance Bill during the voting resolution. However, a statement from the Office of Data Protection Commissioner warned against these acts, claiming they violated individual privacy.
“The ODPC has established that there has been a recent trend of consolidating and sharing of personal information (names, telephone numbers, location and details of family members) of a certain category of citizens through social media platforms,” the statement said.
“The office wishes to advise members of the public to refrain from further sharing of personal information which infringes on individuals’ rights to privacy,” the statement continued.
The directive was unheeded and Kenyans online further shared the commissioner’s contacts in an act of defiance. Members of parliament in yesterday’s parliamentary session complained that Kenyans have been insulting them and some of them have opted to stay away from social networks.
“Fortunately, several phone numbers belonging to members of parliament are circulating online. Soon, there will be an uprising of hackers, many of whom may reside in your home country. Your secrets may no longer be safe, and there is a chance that all these secrets will be exposed to show how corrupt and unjust members of this parliament are, embezzling public funds for personal gain,” said the statement from Anonymous.
Anonymous sprang up in 2003 as a group of cyberterrorists who ran attacks against governments and institutions. It embodies an anarchist outlook, assuming anonymity and voice-change mechanisms that deepen their mystery. Their involvement in the Kenyan affair has been largely welcomed by Kenyans on social media, with some viewing it as an upscale to social activism.
In July last year, hackers breached the e-citizen system – an ordeal that led to delays and serious disruptions in service delivery. A widespread attack that would culminate in the event Anonymous gets involved would be serious and the repercussions unimaginable. It is even alleged that the group had its fingers on the Arab Spring that sent tremors across North African and Middle East governments.
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Finance Bill 2024: Treasury Warns of KSh 200 Bn Hole, Budget Cuts
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