Moses Orwa, a Kenyan software developer, filed a lawsuit against multiple government entities, including the Attorney General and various ministries, claiming intellectual property infringement over the Maisha Namba digital identity project.
Orwa alleges that the government of Kenya has used is idea to come up with Maisha Namba project which got launched in 2023, but without his consent. He claims he conceived and copyrighted a digital identity innovation concept in 2011, featuring a smart national portal and QR code system.
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In what he considers intellectual infringement, Orwa now seeks compensation of Sh39.1 billion, representing 10 percent of the projected Sh391 billion revenue from the project over the next decade.
Court documents detailed that the petitioner shared his concept with various government officials between 2022 and 2023, including presentations at innovation workshops in Mombasa County and discussions with ICT Authority officials, before President William Ruto officially presided the launching of the Maisha Namba project in October 2023.
The lawsuit requests a permanent injunction against the government’s use of the concept and seeks both general and punitive damages for alleged copyright infringement and unjust enrichment.
