A new investigation has revealed that Kenyan authorities likely used advanced technology from an Israeli firm to extract data from the personal phone of a prominent pro-democracy figure while he was detained.
The activist, a declared candidate in the country’s next presidential election, reported that his personal mobile device was returned to him without its password protection following his arrest last summer. The phone contained sensitive private communications, family photographs, and financial information.
A digital research organization specializing in threats to civil society has concluded with high confidence that the breach was executed using tools from Cellebrite, an Israel-based company. The technology is capable of performing a complete extraction of all data from a mobile device.
The findings contribute to mounting international concerns about the misuse of such surveillance tools by government clients. Researchers argue that the company is failing to prevent its products from being used to target journalists, activists, and political dissidents.
In a statement, Cellebrite said it maintains a process for reviewing allegations of misuse and takes action, including terminating licenses, when presented with credible evidence. The company declined to comment on specific cases without what it called evidence-based concerns shared directly.
The activist involved stated he operates under the assumption of constant surveillance, believing his calls and messages are routinely monitored. He asserted that providing governments with the capability to conduct such intrusive surveillance endangers the lives of those who speak out.
This incident is not isolated. Previous forensic analyses have identified spyware on devices belonging to other Kenyan citizens after their phones were in police custody. Furthermore, similar Cellebrite technology has been implicated in the targeting of civil society members in multiple countries across different regions, including Jordan, Myanmar, and Botswana.
Digital rights researchers emphasize the profound risk posed when governments can arbitrarily access the entire digital life contained within a person’s phone, particularly when targeting critics. They warn that selling such powerful tools to agencies with histories of human rights abuses directly threatens freedom of expression and the safety of activists.
