Bosco Otieno<\/strong> had been betting with Betika for six years<\/strong> without issues. However, when he decided to quit in June 2025<\/strong>, the company refused to close his account unless he provided his national ID and three months of M-Pesa transaction statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Viewing these demands as an invasion of his privacy, Otieno filed a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC)<\/strong>, arguing that Betika\u2019s request exceeded what was necessary for account closure and violated Kenya\u2019s Data Protection Act of<\/strong> 2019<\/strong>, which grants users the right to request deletion of their data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Otieno asserted: \u201cThe company’s request risked misuse of my financial information and went beyond what was necessary for account closure.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, defending its position, Betika cited the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (POCAMLA) of 2009<\/strong>, which requires verification of identity and transaction sources to prevent fraud and money laundering. The company also referenced its privacy policy, which states users may need to provide additional documents when closing accounts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The ODPC ruled that the company\u2019s request for Otieno\u2019s national ID complied with both POCAMLA and data protection laws, but demanding three months\u2019 worth of M-Pesa statements was excessive and unjustified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait<\/strong> wrote: “In the present circumstances, while requiring the production of a national ID may be considered necessary and consistent with both POCAMLA and the Data Protection Act for purposes of verifying identity at account closure, the blanket demand for three months’ M-Pesa statements was disproportionate, unnecessary and inconsistent with the principle of data minimisation.”\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n She noted that those statements contain extensive personal details unrelated to closing the account, and with no signs of wrongdoing in Otieno\u2019s betting history, Betika had no valid reason for requesting such information. The commissioner described Betika\u2019s requests as “intrusive, unnecessary and disproportionate” and ordered the company to pay compensation and permanently delete Otieno\u2019s data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Betika has 30 days to file an appeal against the decision with Kenya\u2019s High Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This ruling highlights Kenya\u2019s commitment to protecting personal data and ensuring online businesses adhere to compliance regulations. In March 2025, the ODPC fined SportPesa for a major data breach. <\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/09\/new-jersey-lawmaker-proposes-bill-to-lift-college-sports-wagering-ban-900x600-300x200.jpg\")
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