Kenyans have unanimously descended on the Peter Ndegwa led Safaricom PLC following the latest statement by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority IPOA which revealed that it had made an official application to mobile service providers to supply phone data for persons of interest in the ongoing investigation into the death of Albert Ojwang in police custody.
The IPOA revelation has reignited long standing public suspicions that Safaricom, Kenya’s largest telecommunications firm, has been secretly cooperating with rogue police units despite repeatedly claiming it does not share user data with law enforcement or third parties.
For years, Kenyans have accused Safaricom of being complicit in illegal surveillance and unlawful data access especially in cases involving abductions, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of government critics.
Though the company has consistently denied any involvement, IPOA’s public mention of seeking mobile phone data has triggered fresh questions about who exactly supplies such data and whether Safaricom’s denials still hold.
Critics argue that IPOA’s carefully worded statement unintentionally exposes Safaricom especially given that it is the dominant mobile provider in Kenya serving more than 65 percent of the market. Many Kenyans are now asking who else could IPOA be referring to and are pointing fingers directly at Safaricom.
Late Albert Ojwang posses for a photograph during a past event
The public outrage is also fueled by the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Albert Ojwang. While police denied tracking him, detectives reportedly located him with surprising accuracy which many believe could not have been done without GPS data or phone metadata access. This has led to speculation about possible coordination with a telecom provider.
This is not the first time Safaricom has come under fire. In past cases, activists and opposition figures who voiced anti government sentiments were trailed, arrested or disappeared. Many claimed their call logs and locations had been accessed. Despite mounting public pressure, Safaricom has maintained that user privacy is a priority.
As IPOA deepens its investigation, Kenyans are demanding transparency from both the Authority and Safaricom. The spotlight now falls squarely on Ndegwa and his leadership. There are growing calls for Safaricom to come clean or be held accountable if it has aided rogue state operatives.