Kenya’s digital infrastructure is under unprecedented pressure.
- •The National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team – Coordination Centre (KE-CIRT/CC) reported 4.5 billion cyber threat events between April and June 2025.
- •This is an 80.7% jump from the previous quarter’s 2.54 billion incidents.
- •The rapid escalation exposes major vulnerabilities in Kenya’s digital economy.
The Cyber Security Report Q4 2024-2025, released by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), reveals a fast-changing threat landscape. Ransomware attacks, driven by groups like Lockbit and ClOp, targeted healthcare, telecoms, and finance. Attackers exploited outdated software and weak system configurations.
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, often fueled by compromised Internet of Things (IoT) devices, surged 255.6%. This surge overwhelmed public services, web servers, and government databases. Mobile application threats rose 177.7%. Android devices and smart TVs were frequently compromised, often due to poor credential management and insecure supply chains.
AI-Driven Scams and Web Attacks Multiply
AI-powered phishing scams, including deepfake-driven Business Email Compromise (BEC), now threaten many organizations. Attackers impersonate executives and use sophisticated social engineering. Web attacks climbed 151%. Criminals exploited vulnerabilities in platforms like WordPress, SAP NetWeaver, and Apache Tomcat. Brute force attacks dropped 38%. Even so, attackers continued to target cloud and government systems for credential theft.
“The sophistication of these attacks, amplified by AI and unpatched systems, threatens Kenya’s digital transformation,” said CA Director General David Mugonyi.
Kenya lost $83 million to cybercrime in 2023, second only to Nigeria in Africa. Local businesses spent an average of $4.35 million each to recover from attacks. The financial sector is a prime target. Mobile money platforms like M-Pesa help drive the digital economy, but also draw attention from cybercriminals. Financial institutions now allocate KSh 900 million annually to cover cyber losses. With fintech transactions projected to reach $3.1 trillion by 2028, defending the cyber space will become even more crucial to the strength of the financial system.
The National KE-CIRT/CC issued over 19 million advisories—a 30% increase from the previous quarter. Authorities recommend offline backups, network segmentation, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Zero-Trust architectures, and AI-powered DDoS protection. Public campaigns have encouraged strong passwords, disabling vulnerable services, and rapid incident reporting through the KE-CIRT/CC hotline or email.
Building Capacity and Regional Partnerships
Kenya’s policy response includes the 2018 Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act, the National Cybersecurity Strategy (2022–2027), and new sector-specific regulations. Initiatives such as the Konza Cybersecurity and AI Acceleration Program and partnerships with Microsoft and Cisco are improving readiness.
Events like the Cyber Carnival 2025 and Digital Trust Forum are helping build up regional capacity. Meanwhile, the Kenya Defence Forces’ Cyber Team has gained global recognition for its expertise.
Despite some progress, the public remains concerned. Social media discussions often highlight persistent breaches and question the readiness of agencies like KE-CIRT/CC.
Defending Kenya’s digital future will require urgent investment, strong regulation, and relentless vigilance. However, with ongoing reforms and partnerships, Kenya is better positioned to address the threats ahead.
