Kenya parliament forms 15-man committee to investigate Worldcoin

Kenya has been a centre of controversy regarding the recently-launched Worldcoin project and there is another update this week. 

Authorities in the country have formed a 15-member parliamentary committee to investigate the controversial asset, per a report from local media The Star.

Recall that Worldcoin’s launch has been marred with controversy, and it currently faces investigations in about five major countries. Also, less than two weeks ago, we reported how police in the East African country raided the company warehouse in the country’s capital, Nairobi.

Kenya’s parliament committee on Worldcoin 

According to a The Star report on Monday, the Kenyan government formed a 15-member committee headed by Narok West Member of Parliament Gabriel Tongoyo to look into Worldcoin. 

Read also: Kenyan authorities deny endorsing Worldcoin despite issuing a registration certificate

Members of the committee were drawn from departmental committees on Administration and Internal Security, Communication and Innovation, and Tourism and Wildlife. The parliamentary committee has 42 days to investigate the project and submit its report to the House committee. 

Kithure Kindiki, the Interior Cabinet Secretary, told the House Committee that the government is concerned by Worldcoin’s activities registering citizens and collecting iris data, all of which he claims pose serious security risks.

This parliamentary investigation into the crypto project comes nearly three weeks after the country suspended Worldcoin’s operations after the project failed to comply with government orders to stop scanning users’ iris.

Read also: Kenyan police raid Worldcoin warehouse in Nairobi 

Apart from the parliamentary committee, the Worldcoin project has faced an all-out rejection from the various regulatory bodies in Kenya. Two weeks ago, law enforcement agencies in Kenya raided a warehouse in Nairobi that belongs to Worldcoin. 

Reports said the Kenyan police executed a search warrant and seized Worldcoin’s documents and machines in the warehouse located in the East African country’s capital, Nairobi.

Worldcoin is a digital ID-focused crypto project that offers its native cryptocurrency, $WLD, for scanning the iris of users. The project reportedly onboarded nearly 2 million users during its trial phase. 

However, Worldcoin has endured a difficult 3 weeks as it continues to face investigations in major countries like the United Kingdom, Argentina, Germany and Kenya.