NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 1 — The government has stepped up efforts to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity systems and establish responsible governance for artificial intelligence (AI), warning that rapidly evolving digital technologies are creating new threats capable of undermining national security, public trust and the country’s growing digital economy.

📻 Breaking It Down

Speaking during the opening of the Sixth Annual Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) Conference in Naivasha, Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo said Kenya’s ambitious digital transformation agenda has significantly improved public service delivery but has also widened the country’s exposure to cyberattacks.

The three-day conference, jointly organized by the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), has brought together government agencies, regulators, cybersecurity professionals, academia, development partners and private sector stakeholders to deliberate on emerging cyber risks and strategies for strengthening national resilience.

PS Omollo said digital platforms have become central to economic growth, government transparency and service delivery under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), making cybersecurity an increasingly important component of national security.

📌 What You Need to Know

He cited the rapid growth of the eCitizen platform, which now hosts more than 24,000 government services, serves over 15 million users and processes approximately 500,000 transactions daily.

“National security is no longer confined to traditional security infrastructure. Today, it includes protecting cloud systems, digital payment platforms, telecommunications networks and critical information infrastructure that citizens depend on every day,” said Dr. Omollo.

The Principal Secretary said the government has already taken several steps to strengthen the country’s cyber defences, including implementing the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, operationalizing the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee and enforcing the Critical Information Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity Management Regulations, 2024.

He noted that the regulations require organizations managing critical information infrastructure to identify and secure digital assets while continuously monitoring potential cyber threats to safeguard essential services.

The PS also welcomed Parliament’s recent approval of the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Agency, describing it as a major milestone that will improve national coordination, boost cyber resilience and strengthen Kenya’s preparedness against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

While acknowledging AI’s enormous potential to accelerate innovation and improve cybersecurity capabilities, the Principal Secretary warned that the technology is also introducing complex risks that governments can no longer afford to ignore.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya