Faridah Muli

This project examines the human rights implications of digital surveillance as part of efforts on countering violent extremism (CVE) in Kenya. Over the past decade, the Kenyan government has increasingly deployed AI-driven monitoring tools, biometric systems, and social media analytics to address persistent security threats. While digital technologies have strengthened intelligence gathering and security responses, they are often deployed in ways that do not adequately reflect the legal, social-political, and cultural realities of marginalized communities. As a result, such tools risk enabling profiling, privacy violations, and the erosion of civic freedoms, particularly the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of movement. Focusing on youth, women, and marginalized communities in Eastleigh (Nairobi), Majengo (Mombasa), and Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa counties, the study investigates how surveillance affects daily life, exposes patterns of exclusion, and reveals gaps in governance and accountability. Using a human-centered, mixed-methods approach, the project generates empirically grounded insights and policy recommendations to guide rights-based digital governance that balances security with fundamental freedoms in Kenya.