Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki says senior government officials could be restricted from using the famous social media app tiktok.
Speaking before the National Assembly's Public Petitions Committee on Thursday, Kindiki said they are considering building additional defense troops to protect the country from cyber security threats.
“Today cyberspace is the theatre of risk, and therefore going forward we should invest in internal security and defence arrangements that will create a fourth defence tyre, we need both the military and internal security expertise and technology people to be the fourth arm of our defence to secure our cyberspace,” he told the committee.
“Cyber security and ICT technology threats are as big a priority as our other priorities in defending our land and our borders, even as we collaborate with our brothers in the Ministry of Defence,” he added.
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The sessional head of the committee, Kuria East MP Marwa Kitayama, asked if a policy bars public personnel from using the popular app, given the security risks that might arise from using TitkTok.
However, Kindiki informed the MPs that the situation was complex and required a change in laws and policies.
He told the committee that the government has written to the app's owners to explain the concerns raised about how the app is being misused by criminals to spread malicious propaganda, steal popular accounts through theft and impersonation, conduct fraud by duping Kenyans into fake forex traders, fake job recruitments, and distribute sexual content.
“The right to be heard is undeniable right, even if someone has nothing to say, you they must be given the opportunity to say nothing before action is taken if they don’t reply, we take action, we will do what we must do if they don’t comply,” Kindiki said.
