International hacker group and activist, Anonymous, has shone a light on Kenyan MPs over the passing of the highly controversial Finance Bill 2024. The international but decentralized group of hackers had initially warned the Kenyan government, on Thursday, ahead of the Occupy Parliament protests.
“It has come to our attention that there are discussions in parliament to pass the Finance Bill, which will unfairly tax the citizens of Kenya,” they in their official X account.
They said that “.. it has come to their attention that the MPs want to pass a Bill that will heavily tax the people of Kenya and demonstrations against the bill have been met with harassment and arrests from the police.”
“Fortunately, several phone numbers belonging to members of parliament are circulating online. Soon, there will be an uprising of hackers, many of whom may reside in your home country. Your secrets may no longer be safe, and there is a chance that all these secrets will be exposed to show how corrupt and unjust members of this parliament are, embezzling public funds for personal gain,” said the statement from Anonymous.
Phone numbers of Kenyan MPs were shared publicly to pile pressure on them to reject the Finance Bill. The Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) issued a stern warning on Wednesday to Kenyans against public sharing other people’s personal information. In their statement, the Data Protection Commission said it contravened Article 31 of the Constitution.
Kenyans online defied the commissioner’s orders and even went further to share his contacts. MPs in the most recent parliamentary session, complained of harassment forcing them to stay away from social media platforms.
The Rise of Anonymous
Anonymous started around 2003, as a group of cyberterrorists who ran attacks against governments and institutions. The terrorist group assumes anonymity and voice-change mechanisms to deepen their mystery and focus on their core mandate of social activism.
The Anonymous group has been around since the early 2000s, originating from the chaotic and often irreverent forums of 4chan. Initially, their activities were more about self-amusement, trolling, and cyberbullying.
However, they shifted their focus and conducted numerous operations targeting various organizations and causes. Some notable actions include:
2010– Operation Payback: In retaliation for the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America hiring Indian software firm AIPLEX to launch DDoS attacks on The Pirate Bay and other file-sharing websites, Anonymous launched their attacks against these organizations.
2011– Operation Darknet: Anonymous took down Lolita City, a website that enabled pedophiles to view innocent children being abused, and published the names of 1,500 people who used the website.
2011 – Operation Tunisia: During the Arab Spring, Anonymous provided crucial logistics to protest movements in Tunisia and other Arab nations, helping to spread the uprisings and support the fight for democracy.
2013 – Operation Free Korea: Anonymous declared cyber war on North Korea, aiming to disrupt the authoritarian regime’s satellite communications and demoralize its leadership.
The most successful and relevant operation has been #opDeathEaters, preceding Operation Gabon. This is considered the culmination of all its previous operations. It was focusing on exposing and combating corruption, abuse, and human rights violations worldwide.
Anonymous hacker in Kenya
In July 2023, they breached the e-citizen systems, leading to delays and massive disruptions. A widespread cyber attack on governments, would be grave and culminate into severe repercussions.
It is alleged that Anonymous had its fingers on the Arab Spring across North African and Middle East governments. Many Kenyans were relieved when they got involved in the Kenyan issues at hand.
