Kenya's government has dug in its heels regarding the suspension of WorldCoin, a cryptocurrency project, despite pressure from the United States to reinstate it.

This information came to light on Thursday during a parliamentary session.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, appearing before the National Assembly's Committee on Public Petitions, confirmed the US government's lobbying efforts.

"The United States has been pushing the government on the issues of WorldCoin, but we have remained adamant and firm," Kindiki stated.

He further elaborated, "They think that they still have a case to set up their activities here. We have remained adamant and the decision we took will remain. We are not going to review the suspension."

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The suspension of WorldCoin in August 2023 stemmed from concerns over data privacy, particularly the project's collection of Kenyan citizens' iris scans.

"The government has suspended forthwith activities of WorldCoin and any other entity that may be similarly engaging the people of Kenya until relevant public agencies certify the absence of any risks to the general public whatsoever," Kindiki declared in a previous statement.

This firm stance comes amidst the committee's consideration of a public petition seeking a ban on the Chinese messaging platform TikTok.

Kindiki indicated that the government is exploring various options, including potential limitations on TikTok's operations, similar to the measures taken with WorldCoin.

The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) had previously issued warnings regarding the potential for fraudulent schemes involving cryptocurrencies in the wake of WorldCoin's launch.

The CMA emphasized that WorldCoin lacked regulatory approval in Kenya and that the project's free tokens and derivatives did not qualify as investment products under the Capital Markets Act.

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) had also issued an advisory urging Kenyans to exercise caution and seek proper information before sharing sensitive data, specifically in relation to the WorldCoin project.