DCI set to deploy controversial Optimus 3.0 system amid growing fears of digital surveillance state
In a chilling move that has sparked outrage and fears of a creeping surveillance state, the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee has quietly approved a Ksh.150 million budget boost for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to procure and operationalize a powerful surveillance tool capable of tracking Kenyan social media users in real time.
At the heart of the funding lies the Optimus 3.0 system, a shadowy forensic tracking technology designed to unmask online identities, monitor digital conversations, and trace the origin of posts across multiple platforms – including WhatsApp, Twitter (X), Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram.
According to the committee’s report tabled in Parliament, Ksh.50 million will go towards the procurement and basic operation of Optimus 3.0, while an additional Ksh.100 million has been injected into the DCI’s recurrent expenditure for the system’s continuous use and expansion under the so-called “DCI Forensic Lab Optimus 3.0 Social Media” program.
If fully implemented, the system could pinpoint not only what you post, but when, where, and from what device – with chilling accuracy.
“It has the potential to fetch identities of users across different platforms and establish who is posting what, where, and using what gadgets, traceable through connection data,” reads an internal brief seen by Channel 15 News.
While security agencies claim the move is aimed at curbing cybercrime, online hate speech, and terrorism, critics argue that the state is building a digital dragnet that could be used to silence dissent, intimidate journalists, and spy on political activists.
“This is Big Brother gone rogue,” said digital rights activist Linda Muthoni. “Today it’s ‘tracking crime,’ tomorrow it’s tracking every Kenyan who dares to criticize the government.”
The approval comes as online platforms continue to shape Kenya’s political and social discourse, with rising youth activism, whistleblower accounts, and trending hashtags challenging the status quo. The deployment of Optimus 3.0 could signal a new era of state control over digital freedoms, experts warn.
Already, concern is brewing in legal and civil society circles, with some lawyers preparing to challenge the legality of the surveillance tool under the Constitution’s provisions on privacy, freedom of expression, and access to information.
As Parliament moves to pass the budget into law, the real question remains: Is Kenya ready for a future where every like, share, and tweet could land you under government watch?
