HRD Forensic Guidebook

Executive Summary

Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and Social Justice Organisations (SJOs) in Kenya operate at the frontlines of accountability and civic advocacy while also facing a rapidly escalating and sophisticated array of digital threats. Attacks have evolved from opportunistic social engineering to precisely targeted spyware campaigns, including tools such as Pegasus and Cellebrite^[1], designed to monitor, silence, and endanger defenders.

In response to these, and informed by a Cybersecurity Needs Survey in March 2026, Tatua Digital Resilience Centre and KICTANet developed this guidebook to close the critical governance and technical gaps that leave HRDs legally exposed and operationally unprepared

This guidebook, therefore, serves as a direct, practical intervention to address systemic failures and threats for human rights defenders and their institutions in Kenya and across the region such as reliance on informal communication channels, lack of access to legal counsel and Incident Management Policies and the lack of technical forensic capacities. By standardising evidence collection, introducing low-cost offline tools, and answering the urgent call for targeted digital forensics training (requested by 59.6% of respondents), this resource aims to bridge the resource gap.

True digital resilience requires moving beyond individual vigilance toward robust institutional governance and intersectional, disability-inclusive safety frameworks. Securely equipping Kenya's human rights ecosystem ensures that those who defend the rights of others are fiercely protected themselves.