Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has moved to allay fears over alleged government surveillance, insisting that the newly enacted privacy and data protection laws are designed to protect citizens, not to spy on them.
Speaking during an interview on Radio Generation on Tuesday, Kaluma said the laws introduce “stronger safeguards” on personal data, ensuring that even leaders are not exempt from privacy protections.
He emphasized that the legislation provides avenues for appeal up to the Supreme Court and sets clear limits on how private information can be accessed or used.
“The people discovered that if the privatization bill is passed into law, it would make it more difficult to privatize than the situation now,” Kaluma said, referring to the robust checks and limitations built into the framework.
“Because of the limitations and other procedures, including appeals up to the Supreme Court, we were saying, pass it quickly — because if we enact it before any privatization, it will stop abuse.”
Kaluma noted that the law addresses growing concerns about the misuse of personal and financial data, especially in light of provisions in the Finance Bill that could make taxation and data collection more intrusive.
“Even leaders are not safe on provisions of the Finance Bill, which would allow easy taxation,” he said. “Anything touching on a person’s sitting room or finances is a direct issue of privacy.”
The legislator also condemned what he described as rampant “abuse of cyberspace,” saying that while the Constitution protects the right to expression and opinion, the same freedoms must not be used to harm individuals or their families.
“What do you think of my children, my friends, my relatives, who reads those things?” he asked rhetorically, decrying online defamation and falsehoods targeting public figures.
Kaluma firmly rejected claims that the government would use the new laws to monitor citizens’ communications.
“At no point will the government spy on Kenyans. No, they’re not,” he assured. “We have a law not for destruction, but to safeguard rights.”
He encouraged Kenyans to use available legal avenues, including petitions and the courts, if they believe their data privacy has been violated.
“If there is a problem, still petition us and go to court. But I can assure you, those laws have passed to protect you.”
President William Ruto on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, signed the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Bill, 2024, into law during a ceremony at State House, Nairobi.
The new Act empowers the government to block or take down websites and digital content deemed illegal, while introducing stricter penalties for online offenses such as spreading fake news, cyberbullying, and unauthorized data access.
