Authorities used Israeli tech to hack Boniface Mwangi's phone in police custody, report reveals

Citizen Lab says Kenyan police used Cellebrite forensic software on activist Boniface Mwangi’s phone while in custody, raising concerns over surveillance abuses and violations of privacy and free expression rights.

Researchers at Citizen Lab have revealed that prominent Kenyan activist and opposition figure Boniface Mwangi had his personal phone accessed using foreign forensic software while in police custody last year, raising concerns over the misuse of digital surveillance technologies. Mwangi, who has announced his intention to run for the Kenyan presidency in 2027, was arrested at his on July 19, 2025, over alleged links to anti-government protests held a month earlier. More To Read Boniface Mwangi urges all opposition leaders to unite or risk giving Ruto second term Court honours late ‘Blood Parliament’ filmmaker Wambugu as BBC protest spyware case proceeds Police IG Douglas Kanja assures Kenyans of tight security ahead of new year celebrations Police FC seek top spot as Leopards chase derby momentum Pamzo rues draw with Murang’a Seal, eyes bounce-back against Police Boniface Mwangi summoned over social media post on police Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) raided Mwangi’s and activist workspace in Nairobi, seizing several electronic devices. He was later charged with firearms-related offences but was released on bail. His case is still ongoing. When his devices were returned in September 2025, Mwangi discovered that his Samsung phone could now be unlocked without a password—a password he had never shared with authorities. Citizen Lab researchers later found evidence that Cellebrite forensic extraction software had been used on the device while it was in police custody between July 20 and 21, 2025. The software is capable of extracting messages, files, financial data, and passwords, raising serious privacy and security concerns. “We observed traces of an application named com.client.appA on the Android phone. The Citizen Lab associates this application name with high confidence with Cellebrite’s forensic extraction technology. Other sources have also linked this indicator with Cellebrite’s forensic extraction technology,” Citizen Lab said. The research unit further described the incident as part of a broader pattern of misuse of digital forensic tools by Kenyan authorities. Citizen Lab cited investigations into Kenya’s digital surveillance practices, which revealed spyware such as Flexispy installed on activists’ devices and extensive monitoring of social media and online communications, as reported by Amnesty International. “The Kenyan government’s use of Cellebrite technology against Mwangi is part of a broader ecosystem of surveillance abuses by the Kenyan authorities that have been broadly documented by human rights organisations,” Citizen Lab said. According to the researchers, using such technologies against activists or opposition members violates international human rights standards, particularly the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly. Other Topics To Read News Headlines Kenya Police Boniface Mwangi human rights kenya Citizen Lab digital surveillance digital surveillance Kenya Cellebrite spyware Cellebrite Authorities used Israeli tech to hack Boniface Mwangi’s phone in police custody report reveals

Researchers at Citizen Lab have revealed that prominent Kenyan activist and opposition figure Boniface Mwangi had his personal phone accessed using foreign forensic software while in police custody last year, raising concerns over the misuse of digital surveillance technologies.

Mwangi, who has announced his intention to run for the Kenyan presidency in 2027, was arrested at his on July 19, 2025, over alleged links to anti-government protests held a month earlier.

Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) raided Mwangi’s and activist workspace in Nairobi, seizing several electronic devices. He was later charged with firearms-related offences but was released on bail. His case is still ongoing.

When his devices were returned in September 2025, Mwangi discovered that his Samsung phone could now be unlocked without a password—a password he had never shared with authorities.

Citizen Lab researchers later found evidence that Cellebrite forensic extraction software had been used on the device while it was in police custody between July 20 and 21, 2025. The software is capable of extracting messages, files, financial data, and passwords, raising serious privacy and security concerns.

“We observed traces of an application named com.client.appA on the Android phone. The Citizen Lab associates this application name with high confidence with Cellebrite’s forensic extraction technology. Other sources have also linked this indicator with Cellebrite’s forensic extraction technology,” Citizen Lab said.

The research unit further described the incident as part of a broader pattern of misuse of digital forensic tools by Kenyan authorities. Citizen Lab cited investigations into Kenya’s digital surveillance practices, which revealed spyware such as Flexispy installed on activists’ devices and extensive monitoring of social media and online communications, as reported by Amnesty International.

“The Kenyan government’s use of Cellebrite technology against Mwangi is part of a broader ecosystem of surveillance abuses by the Kenyan authorities that have been broadly documented by human rights organisations,” Citizen Lab said.

According to the researchers, using such technologies against activists or opposition members violates international human rights standards, particularly the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly.

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