about kanimba
Kanimba’s commitment to justice has come at a personal cost, as identified by Amnesty International and Citizen Lab through forensic analysis of the Pegasus spyware in her phone. The Rwandan Government’s suspected continuous surveillance and spying on her were exposed by journalists from the Forbidden Stories collective. In 2021, Kanimba testified before the United States Congress House Intelligence Committee and the European Parliament, sharing her firsthand experience as a target of the Pegasus spyware. She continues to advocate for strong regulation of the commercial spyware industry and accountability for those abusing the technology to target human rights activists and journalists.
In recognition of her activism, Kanimba was honored with the Heroes of Democracy Award from the Renew Democracy Initiative in April 2023 and later received the Global Magnitsky Justice Award for young Human Rights Activists in November 2023.
A distinguished alumna of Northwestern University in the US, Kanimba furthered her education with a Masters in Law and Economics from Aix-Marseille University in France, Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and the University of Bologna in Italy. Kanimba has appeared on CNN, Aljazeera, BBC, NPR, Channel 4, The Guardian, France 24, TV5 Monde, Le Soir, Washington Post, New York Times, Financial Times, Paris-Match, and Times, among others.
Currently serving as the Spokesperson for the World Liberty Congress, Kanimba remains an active advocate for justice, human rights, and global liberties.
featured work
rdi hero of democracy
Kanimba received RDI’s Hero of Democracy Award at its inaugural awards gala in 2023. The awards celebrate those who have fought tirelessly to protect democracy. RDI awarded Kanimba for her incredible advocacy for her father Paul Rusesabagina and the people of Rwanda.
