From Kemsa Scandal to Global Spy Network: How Accenture Built a Worldwide Surveillance Empire on Government Contracts

Investigations reveals consulting giant’s central role in international surveillance apparatus while facing corruption allegations across multiple continents

The global consulting firm Accenture, already embroiled in Kenya’s Sh7.8 billion Kemsa Covid-19 procurement scandal, has been exposed as a key architect of a worldwide surveillance infrastructure that spans from biometric databases tracking billions of people to predictive policing systems targeting individuals before they commit crimes.

A comprehensive investigation by Progressive International, spanning 41 contract case studies across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, reveals how the world’s largest consultancy has quietly embedded itself into security states globally, deploying vast resources to surveil populations while channeling immense public wealth into private hands.

The Kenyan Connection

In Kenya, Accenture’s controversial footprint extends beyond the widely reported Kemsa scandal, where the firm was awarded a contract to supply 12,000 PPEs at approximately Sh9,000 each, totaling Sh108 million – despite Kemsa having no budget for the procurement.

The company has also maintained significant operations with Kenya’s Ministry of Health, developing mobile health learning platforms and enhancing primary care through public-private partnerships. Additionally, Accenture subsidiary Seabury Consulting was tasked by the Kenyan government in February 2022 to assist Kenya Airways in evaluating debt restructuring options, following IMF recommendations for international consultancy support.

Nation.Africa’s attempts to reach Accenture for comment on both its Kenyan operations and global surveillance activities were unsuccessful, with the company failing to respond by press time.

From Enron Scandal to Surveillance Empire

Accenture’s transformation from accounting scandal survivor to surveillance powerhouse began with its origins in Arthur Andersen, the disgraced accounting firm implicated in the 2001 Enron bankruptcy. Following the scandal, the company rebranded as Accenture and strategically incorporated in Bermuda before relocating to Ireland, securing a tax rate of just 3.5% compared to 24% in the UK.

The firm’s meteoric rise was powered by a single transformative contract with the US Department of Homeland Security to build the US-VISIT program following the 9/11 attacks. This initiative created the Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT), then the world’s second-largest biometric database, tracking 200 million individuals entering or exiting the United States.

Internal emails later revealed that Accenture had advised the Department of Homeland Security to “limit the number of bidders” to capture the contract, with the company moving into government offices four months before the contract was even awarded – raising serious questions about procurement integrity.

The Palantir Partnership: Surveillance Meets Consultancy

The investigation reveals that Accenture has cemented a dangerous alliance with Palantir, the controversial data analytics firm founded by Peter Thiel. This partnership represents a convergence of Accenture’s public sector reach with Palantir’s surveillance capabilities.

In 2022, Accenture launched an innovation center with Palantir, leading to a £480 million contract to deliver the Federated Data Platform for NHS England in 2023, despite protests from healthcare workers concerned about patient privacy. The deal provides access to NHS data, considered one of the world’s most valuable datasets.

Both companies participated in the inaugural “AI for War” conference in 2024, highlighting their shared commitment to militarizing artificial intelligence. Notably, Palantir works closely with Israeli intelligence and plays a role in systems that generate targets for bombing raids.

Global Biometric Surveillance Network

Accenture’s expertise gained from the US-VISIT program enabled the company to expand its biometric surveillance business worldwide:

India’s Aadhaar Program (2010): Accenture secured a contract to implement what is now the world’s largest biometric database, covering 1.3 billion people. The contract grants Accenture rights to “use, store, transfer, process, and link” individual data.

UN Refugee System (2015): Accenture developed a biometric identity management system for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, collecting data on over 450,000 refugees in Thailand and Chad, with plans to “spread BIMS worldwide.”

Finland Immigration (Recent): The company won a contract worth between €50-100 million from Finland’s Immigration Service to automate migration processes.

Algorithmic Policing: Pre-Crime Prediction

Beyond border security, Accenture has aggressively marketed “predictive policing” technologies to law enforcement agencies worldwide. The investigation uncovered at least 13 police forces across three continents using Accenture’s crime prediction systems.

In the UK, Accenture secured major contracts with the Metropolitan Police (£80 million), West Midlands Police (£25 million), and Sussex Police (£29 million). The company created risk scores in 2014 to determine individuals’ likelihood of gang membership for London’s Metropolitan Police, gathering data without warrants or due process.

In the United States, Accenture has worked with police departments in Seattle, San Francisco, and Minneapolis, implementing systems to “predict crime” before it happens. The company is currently working with police forces in India’s Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states, with executives stating they are “trying to do facial recognition to understand the mood of the crowd.”

Israel-India Military Technology Transfer

Among the most concerning findings is Accenture’s role in facilitating military and surveillance technology transfers between Israel and India. In 2017, the company began championing military ties between the two nations, proposing partnerships where “Israeli defense companies could leverage India’s engineering talent to develop a global maintenance fleet for servicing defense equipment globally.”

Accenture acquired Israeli cyberwarfare firm Maglan in 2016, named after an Israeli military unit implicated in controversial operations including the 1996 Lebanon massacre and 2014 Gaza missions. The company has also invested in Team8, an Israeli cybersecurity firm founded by the former commander of Israel’s Unit 8200 intelligence division.

Pattern of Corruption and Failure

Despite its global influence, Accenture’s operations are marked by a consistent pattern of scandal and failure across multiple countries:

• Angola (2020): Linked to money laundering through a $54 million contract with embattled billionaire Isabel dos Santos
• Australia (2017): $17.6 million border security contract terminated over poor performance
• Luxembourg (2019): Paid $200 million to settle tax evasion claims
• Scotland (2013): Police IT contract canceled with $14.8 million settlement required
• United States (2018-2019): $297 million border agent recruitment contract canceled after producing only two job offers
• Germany (2020): Defense Minister investigated over allegations of preferential treatment toward Accenture

Financial Empire Built on Public Contracts

Today, Accenture employs 750,000 people across 200+ offices in 49 countries and generated $64.1 billion in revenue in 2023. The company’s growth has been fueled by expanding government consulting contracts worldwide:

• UK government contracts to consultants increased 370% to $3.95 billion from 2016-2022
• France awarded over $2.6 billion in consultant contracts since 2018
• Canada’s consulting spending reached $16.4 billion in 2019-2020

The Reactionary International

The investigation positions Accenture as a central component of what researchers term “The Reactionary International” – a global network enabling surveillance, exclusion, and authoritarian governance. The company’s work directly influences who is designated as “foreign” or “risky,” determining eligibility for government benefits, detention, deportation, and potentially military targeting.

As governments worldwide increasingly outsource critical functions to private consultants, Accenture’s case demonstrates how corporate entities can accumulate unprecedented power over state surveillance apparatus while operating largely beyond public scrutiny.

The investigation calls for increased oversight of consulting firms’ government contracts, particularly those involving surveillance technologies and sensitive data management. With Accenture’s tentacles reaching into everything from healthcare systems to border security, the company’s operations represent a fundamental challenge to democratic governance and civil liberties worldwide.