The government recently announced a Sh12.3 billion deal with giant telecoms company Safaricom for establishment of a security surveillance and communication system involving video surveillance (CCTV), digital radios, video conferencing system, central command for the communication system and a mapping system to thwart terrorism. But a self-proclaimed hacker and ‘IT security genius’ now claims Kenya is getting a raw deal, saying what government is acquiring from the cellular data network firm is “old technology that should not be relied on by countries under terror threat”. This, however, is a view that Peter Wanyonyi, an IT consultant in the telecoms sector, whose views The Nairobian independently sought, dismisses as humbug. Sir Neo Roger Branson, who claims to be the founder of ‘Ultimate Global Technology Authorité’ and employee of the ‘G8+ endorsed Global Intelligence, Surveillance and Tactical (GIST)’, also wonders why a government would go to a private telecoms firm to help fix a security problem that should be the preserve of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). (An internet search by The Nairobian does not reveal much about his two companies apart from a website and blogs written by Sir Neo). “Terrorists have been known to influence and compromise even some staff of the world’s leading intelligence firms in the West.So what would stop Al Shabaab, Al Qaeda or any other terrorist group from infiltrating the staff of mobile telephony operators? What if the terrorists create a jamming field on the mobile telephony networks? A terrorist only needs a minute to carry out an attack so, they need a tech that would be ahead of them at all times.