By Wahome Ngatia
Civil society groups in Kenya have unleashed fierce opposition to President William Ruto’s proposed Digital Intelligence Unit, warning that it risks ushering in expanded state surveillance and serious rights abuses just as the country braces for the 2027 general elections.
The plan — outlined in the annual State of National Security report tabled in Parliament — envisions a specialised police unit to monitor online activity, detect cyber threats and respond in real-time to digital crimes such as fraud, terrorism financing and child exploitation. Government officials argue the unit will not introduce new powers but will organise existing tools to keep pace with evolving digital threats.
Yet critics from the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and allied civil society organisations are unconvinced. In a press statement released this week, they blasted the proposal as a “nefarious” bid to standardise mass surveillance without sufficient legal safeguards or independent oversight. They argue the unit’s vague mandate and lack of transparency on data collection or review mechanisms could trample constitutional rights to privacy, freedom of expression and association.
“We cannot afford unfettered access to our data,” the KHRC said, vowing to challenge the plan “in all policy and civic spaces.” Their statement comes against a backdrop of other digital rights controversies — including recent cybercrime law amendments that critics say could criminalise dissent and expand government reach online.
Parliament is expected to debate the proposal amid mounting public scrutiny. Civil society leaders say they are ready to pursue strategic litigation, mobilise legal opinion and engage in sustained advocacy to ensure independent oversight and judicial safeguards are baked into any final framework.
As the digital debate intensifies, rights defenders argue the outcome will set a precedent not just for security policy but for how Kenya balances emerging technology with democratic freedoms — a balance they insist must favour rights, transparency and public trust.
