Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, Raymond Omollo, during the Sixth Annual Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) Conference in Naivasha
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Kenya’s cybersecurity architecture and developing robust governance frameworks for emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to safeguard the country’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
Speaking while officially opening the Sixth Annual Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) Conference in Naivasha, Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, Raymond Omollo, said digital transformation has become a critical driver of economic growth, public service delivery and government transparency, but has also increased exposure to cyber threats that require coordinated national action.
The conference, jointly organised by the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4) and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), brought together cybersecurity experts, government agencies, regulators, academia, private sector players and development partners to discuss emerging cybersecurity challenges and opportunities.
Omollo noted that the government’s digital transformation agenda under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda continues to accelerate the delivery of public services through digital platforms, citing the success of eCitizen, which currently supports more than 24,000 government services, serves over 15 million users and processes approximately 500,000 transactions daily.
He observed that while digitisation has enhanced efficiency, transparency and accountability in government operations, it has also expanded the country’s cyber risk landscape.
“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 Omollo.
The Principal Secretary highlighted measures undertaken by the Government to strengthen Kenya’s cybersecurity posture, including implementation of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, operationalisation of the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee and enforcement of the Critical Information Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity Management Regulations, 2024.
He noted that the regulations place clear obligations on organisations managing critical information infrastructure to identify digital assets, secure systems and continuously monitor threats in order to safeguard essential services.
Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, Raymond Omollo, during the Sixth Annual Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) Conference in Naivasha
Omollo further welcomed the recent approval by
Parliament of the establishment of the National Cybersecurity Agency, saying
the institution will strengthen national coordination, enhance resilience and
improve Kenya’s preparedness against evolving cyber threats.
The Principal Secretary warned
that the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence is creating both
opportunities and risks, particularly in relation to misinformation, online fraud, identity manipulation and
cyber-enabled attacks.
“As technology evolves, we are
witnessing the emergence of AI-generated deepfakes, sophisticated
misinformation campaigns and new forms of cybercrime that threaten public trust and
national security. Our response
must evolve just as rapidly,” he said.
He emphasised that the future of
information security will not be limited to cybersecurity alone but will
increasingly involve addressing the misuse of artificial intelligence and other
emerging technologies.
Omollo challenged stakeholders to leverage
AI to strengthen cybersecurity
while ensuring that sensitive information remains protected from unauthorised access and misuse.
He also called for greater investment in local innovation and skills development to position Kenya as a producer of trusted cybersecurity solutions rather than solely a consumer of imported technologies.
“The next generation of cybersecurity solutions should not only be imported into Kenya; they should also be designed, developed and exported from Kenya,” he said.
The Principal Secretary urged participants to use the conference as a platform for practical collaboration, knowledge sharing and development of actionable recommendations that will advance the adoption of internationally recognised information security standards across the public and private sectors.
He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to building a secure, resilient and trusted digital ecosystem that supports innovation while protecting citizens, institutions and critical national infrastructure.
The three-day conference is expected to generate policy, technical and operational recommendations aimed at strengthening Kenya’s cybersecurity framework and enhancing preparedness against emerging digital threats.
