I tried refunding the money, MP Kuria Kimani says after Kenyans sent him Sh168K

Molo MP Kuria Kimani speaking during a session in the National Assembly on Wednesday. [Courtesy PBU]

Molo MP Kuria Kimani says Kenyans sent him Sh168,000 to verify his contact details.

This is after a group of Kenyans shared contact information of MPs, the President, and his deputy to lobby lawmakers to oppose the controversial Finance Bill 2024.

Kimani is the Finance and National Planning Committee Chairman.

Speaking to The Standard, Kimani explained that he attempted to refund the money, but the transactions increased over time.

"I could see the small amounts they were sending, which totalled 168k. Many Kenyans send one shilling, two shillings, or even 10 bob to verify if it's your number. I tried reversing the initial transactions until they became too numerous," Kimani said.

During a session in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Kimani disclosed that he had written to the clerk for guidance on how to handle the funds.

"Receiving these gifts from the public is against the laws of this Republic," he asserted.

The Office of Data Protection has since cautioned against sharing personal information such as phone numbers, emphasising that it violates privacy rights.

"The Office of the Data Protection Commission (ODPC) has noted a concerning trend of aggregating and disseminating personal information, including names, phone numbers, addresses, and family details of specific citizens via social media platforms," the office stated.