Gov’t wants all cybercafés fitted with CCTV surveillance, users identified
culture, we must ask many questions. Three of them are: …
1) How effective has the KSh. 15 Billion surveillance system been in
solving real crime ? We may want to first evaluate the National
Surveillance, Communication, and Control System for Nairobi and Mombasa.
2) Will the intrusive cybercafe surveillance demands be extended to all
other spaces where computers are shared; such as in many homes, school
computer labs, college libraries, virtual~shared offices and wherever
hotdesking is common? If not, how will the goals of surveillance be
achieved in spaces without CCTV and registration? 😎
3) The new approach seems to be in line with proposals for mandatory
Dashcam installation in PSVs by the then Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen in
April 2024 …and his proposal to use CCTV/ePolicing instead of traffic
police to collect KSh. 50B in fines for traffic infractions, annually. That
idea may become law if Parliament approves the Bribery (Amendment) Bill,
2023.
What problem is being solved and is mass surveillance an appropriate
response?