Telecommunications giant Safaricom on Wednesday firmly denied any role in the surveillance, location tracking, or arrest of Albert Ojwang’, who later died in police custody under controversial circumstances that have sparked public outrage.
Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said the company had no engagement whatsoever with security agencies in relation to Ojwang’s arrest, adding that they only became aware of the incident through media coverage.
“We were not contacted by any law enforcement agency, nor did we provide any data or assistance related to the matter,” Ndegwa stated.
“We are disturbed by attempts to link us to this tragic occurrence and urge the public to disregard such baseless claims.”
Ndegwa also voiced concern over remarks from political leaders, including former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi, who accused Safaricom of facilitating the state’s alleged crackdown on dissent through mobile surveillance.
“These accusations are not only false but also dangerously misleading,” Ndegwa said.
“Safaricom is committed to protecting customer privacy and operates under stringent legal and ethical standards regarding data use.”
He called on Kenyans to resist incitement and instead support calls for an open, impartial investigation into the circumstances of Ojwang’s death.
“We reiterate our call for a credible, transparent, and swift inquiry to ensure accountability,” Ndegwa said, offering condolences to Ojwang’s family and friends.
Safaricom categorically stated that at no point did it engage with any government or police agency regarding Ojwang’, who was arrested in Homa Bay over a social media post allegedly targeting Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, then transferred to Nairobi, where he was later found unconscious in a police cell.
Safaricom also reassured its customers that it takes data security seriously and maintains robust systems to ensure personal information remains protected.
“Our track record speaks for itself. We have never, and will never, compromise the privacy of our customers,” Ndegwa added.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) also issued a firm denial, rejecting social media claims that it provided real-time subscriber location data to law enforcement in the lead-up to Ojwang’s arrest.
“CA is a regulatory body. We do not access, manage, or utilize real-time data, and we do not participate in any law enforcement operations,” the authority said in a separate statement.
Press Statement on Misleading Claims on Social Media Platforms on the Late Albert Ojwang.@ntvkenya @NationBreaking @StandardKenya @CapitalFMKenya @citizentvkenya @KTNNewsKE @Kenyans @Tuko_co_ke @TheStarBreaking @PeopleDailyKe @KBCChannel1 @MoICTKenya @Mugonyid @Eastleighvoice pic.twitter.com/c1kXLAiFkr
— Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) (@CA_Kenya) June 11, 2025
