Mtetezi App: Bringing hope to human rights defenders

Mtetezi App is helping protect Kenyan human rights defenders through rapid reporting and emergency response ahead of the 2027 elections.

When faced with persecution from the people, he tended to protect them from the oppressors; he knew his only hope was to trigger an alarm, hoping and praying for his safety.

Nathan, not his real name, from Nakuru, had locked horns with a powerful individual who would stop at nothing but to take revenge on a force that was bringing him down.

“I got wind from friends with the price tag on my head. It was frustrating at first. I took every security measure to remain incognito, but he used his connection; eventually, the time came, but with the Mtetezi APP in place, I sent a distress message, and within seconds, I received instructions,” he says.

With the instructions, which were part of the rescue mission, Nathan was evacuated to a safer house where he waited for the matter to cool off.

For Nathan, human rights defenders (HRDs) face hiccups in their line of duty, which has led him to develop a thick skin over time, but the threats remain unavoidable.

“We ruffle feathers with the bigwigs when fighting for the have-nots in society, which isn’t an easy task, but we need protection, safety, with organisations coming up with Apps that help in supporting the well-being of HRDs, and their safety gives us the strength to fight knowing someone has our back,” he added.

Kamau Ngugi, the Executive Director of the Defenders Coalition, said that the organisation works with frontline HRDs to ensure their safety, the safety of their communities, and access to justice and accountability.

Due to advances in technology, Ngugi said that Defender Coalition, in partnership with Strathmore University, developed the Mtetezi Application to document human rights violations using a mobile phone.

The APP allows users to report violations by taking photos and submitting evidence.

After receiving an alert from a distressed HRD, the Coalition liaises with government agencies for a rescue mission.

“We work closely with government multi-agencies to ensure that when a violation has taken place is properly investigated, and those injured we make sure they get services, and if it requires court, we ensure they get justice,” Ngugi explained.

For instance, touching on electoral justice, Ngugi said that the violations have escalated to the IEBC.

“Basically, this App is a holistic way of documenting human rights violations by anybody, enabling every Kenyan to live up to the expectation of our constitution in Chapter 4, which calls on the government to ensure that every right is respected and protected,” Ngugi added.

As the country approaches the 2027 election period, the Mtetezi App will help in documenting violation reports and escalating them across the country.

Ngugi regretted that the concerning use of goons targeting opponents who are not politically aligned was more of the cases reported by HRDs.

“Instances where the electoral violence or hate messaging or threats to violence take place, I think this is a platform that can be used very effectively, because it's citizen-driven and the information is verified. And then we can escalate it to people who can take action,” he added.

This will help in bridging the gap, where initially the HRDs would blame the lack of resources and distance as a reason for not reporting violations.

Rachel Muthoni, an IT professional with the Defenders Coalition, noted that the application was secure to be used for the reporting and documenting of human rights violations.

Some of the features she explains enable one to report any human rights violation through the general incident tab.

 “And if you are selected as an election monitor by Defenders Coalition, there is also an aspect or a platform for you to report any human rights violations around electoral processes,” she added.

Mtetezi, she observes, allows HRDs and their users to send panic attacks to the organisation.

Muthoni noted that the App works when it's offline and allows the user to send an SMS on their end, which indicates a violation or that the user is in trouble.

“The application is safe; its development to incorporate safety, our technical people call it safety by design, where the information is collected automatically, deleted from the phones of the user, and is sent to our backend. And even when one is offline, it will automatically sync when someone goes online,” Muthoni added.

The application, she added, has security features such as two-factor authentication, ensuring that only the authorised user can log in.

The App is available on the Play Store and App Store and is not limited to human rights defenders.

“Having a tool that is easily accessible for you to report is of the essence. In a world where information is needed firsthand, and a lot is happening at a go, that's why the Mtetezi App became a priority because it's a tool that's readily available.

The App, she said, has won an award, that is the Safety by Design Award, proving that indeed Mtetezi has been tested, tried, and tested to be safe.

“MteTezi has gotten traction globally, we shall be showcasing the App as a tool for reporting with the hope to scale it up to cover regional areas,” she added.

She urged the government to support HRDs by responding to the reported cases and solving them on time.

“We developed this App because it is real-time, especially the moment you get access to the internet, so it is not complicated that you need to physically travel to maybe make a report to a police station or to report to the IEBC. It means that the moment it gets to us, we escalate it to the authorities, “she added.

Muthoni said that over 500 users have benefited from the application, with more than 10 cases reported a day.

“You can imagine, receiving panic attacks from them, the level of assessing which cases to respond to, it's a lot, I would say it's a huge number.