Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi says he fears for his life after authorities allegedly installed spyware on his phone following his arrest last year.
Police raided Mwangi’s home and office in July 2025, seizing his mobile phones and computer hard drives while accusing him of “facilitation of terrorist acts”.
A report released on Tuesday, February 17, by Citizen Lab found that surveillance software developed by Israeli company Cellebrite had been placed on Mwangi’s phone without his consent.
Cellebrite’s tools are widely used by law enforcement agencies to unlock smartphones and extract data during investigations. However, human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have previously warned that such technology can be misused to target journalists and activists.
According to the Citizen Lab report, Kenyan police were able to access extensive information from Mwangi’s device, including messages, private files, personal documents, financial records, passwords and other sensitive data.
Speaking to AFP on Wednesday, February 18, Mwangi said he had “life-threatening concerns” and felt “violated” by the alleged surveillance.
He pointed to the killing and forced disappearance of numerous people by police in the wake of widespread anti-government protests in 2024.
“I feel I could be a target for elimination,” Mwangi said. “Now the government has an overview of who is in my inner circle, and I fear for their safety too.”
Following the 2024 protests, there was a surge in abductions targeting government critics. Authorities promised investigations, but no findings have been made public.
Mwangi, who has announced plans to run for president in 2027, has been a vocal critic of President William Ruto’s administration and has campaigned against alleged extrajudicial killings.
“The level of targeted harassment and violations has increased since I announced I’m running for president,” he said, adding that he fears members of his campaign team may also be under surveillance. AFP reported that it had sought comment from Kenyan police.
A former photojournalist, Mwangi has been arrested several times. He said he plans to rely on Citizen Lab’s findings in court as he contests the criminal charges arising from last year’s arrest.
“We will ask the court to order the government not to leak the contents of my phone online, especially my family pictures,” he said.
In a separate case last year, Citizen Lab reported that spyware had been installed on the devices of four Kenyan filmmakers arrested over alleged links to a BBC documentary examining security force killings during the 2024 protests.
