Kenyans who registered for WorldCoin have been directed to visit a hospital should they develop abnormal conditions, as the government steps up investigations into the controversial tech firm.
Speaking before Members of Parliament investigating WorldCoin, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha revealed that preliminary investigations indicate that the scanners exposed Kenyans to health risks.
She noted that there could be some users who were already experiencing the changes adding that the government would be taking a keen interest in the health of those registered.
However, she indicated that they were yet to establish the specific health complications noting that more reports would be released in the future.
According to government records, over 350,000 Kenyans had registered for the digital currency by the time the registration was stopped on August 2.
“As indicated by Hon Shakeel Shabir, there may be Kenyans out there already experiencing different complications or changes in their bodies after underdoing the scan.
” We would like to urge them to report to the nearest health facilities in order to undergo an in-depth examination,” she stated.
She added that those who were still in good condition needed to monitor their status as future health complications were not ruled out.
The CS added that the government had drafted the Digital Health Bill which will address similar health threats posed by WorldCoin and other digital platforms
Nakhumicha made the revelations while appearing before a committee that was formed to investigate the WorldCoin registration Fiasco.
Apart from Nakhumicha, other senior government officials also appeared before the committee to explain why the government did not stop the registration of Kenyans on time.
Communications Authority of Kenya Director General Ezra Chiloba maintained that WorldCoin was not registered in the country adding that the registration of Kenyans was unlawful.
“By our standards as CAK, the orb (the scanning machine) that Worldcoin uses has the ability to transmit data abroad, making it a communication device yet the CAK has not given any approval for the machine to be used in Kenya. We do not know how they attained any approvals to use these machines here,” he stated.
