Kenyan activist and presidential aspirant Boniface Mwangi has raised alarm over his safety, claiming authorities installed spyware on his phone during his arrest in July 2025.
Mwangi, a prominent human rights advocate and former photojournalist, said police raided his home and office last year, seizing his mobile phones and computer hard drives, accusing him of “facilitation of terrorist acts.”
Research by Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, released Tuesday, found that spyware developed by Israeli firm Cellebrite had been covertly installed on Mwangi’s phone. The tool, widely used by law enforcement agencies to unlock smartphones, gave authorities full access to his messages, personal files, financial data, passwords, and other sensitive information.
“I feel my life is under threat,” Mwangi told AFP on Wednesday, describing the intrusion as a violation of his privacy and a risk to the safety of those close to him. “Now the government has an overview of who is in my inner circle, and I fear for their safety too.”
The activist expressed concern that his presidential campaign for the 2027 elections and his campaign team could also be under surveillance. Mwangi has been vocal against President William Ruto’s administration and has protested against extrajudicial killings following nationwide anti-government demonstrations in 2024.
Citizen Lab’s report highlights growing concerns over the use of surveillance tools like Cellebrite to monitor journalists, activists, and government critics. Amnesty International has previously warned that such spyware can be used to intimidate or target human rights defenders.
Mwangi plans to use the findings in court to challenge the criminal charges stemming from his arrest and to prevent the government from leaking personal data, including family photos, online.
Last year, Citizen Lab also discovered similar spyware installed on the devices of four Kenyan filmmakers detained for their involvement in a BBC documentary investigating security service killings during the 2024 protests.
AFP has contacted the Kenya Police Service for comment.
