Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has challenged the newly inaugurated National Cybersecurity Agency Board to accelerate efforts to protect Kenya’s critical digital infrastructure and strengthen the country’s capacity to respond to cyber threats.
Murkomen said the board must prioritise building the capacity of the National Cybersecurity Operations Centre to ensure it can detect, analyse and coordinate responses to cyberattacks in real time.
“I expect the Board to build the capacity of the National Cybersecurity Operations Centre to detect, analyse and coordinate responses to threats in real time,” he said.
The CS described cybersecurity as a national security priority, warning that the growing reliance on digital systems had exposed the country to threats with far-reaching implications for its economy, public safety and sovereignty.
“Cybersecurity is no longer merely an ICT concern. It is a matter of national security, economic security, public safety and national sovereignty,” Murkomen said.
He commended the government’s progress in digital transformation but stressed that the expansion of digital services must be accompanied by stronger safeguards to protect critical infrastructure, government systems and sensitive information.
The urgency of the task is underscored by figures from the Communications Authority of Kenya, which show that Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks reached 72.16 million in the year to June 2026, representing a 114.3 per cent increase from the previous year.
DDoS attacks involve flooding targeted computer systems or networks with overwhelming traffic, disrupting services and preventing legitimate users from accessing them.
Murkomen spoke at Harambee House in Nairobi during the inauguration of the National Cybersecurity Agency Board, chaired by Dr Martin Koyabe.
The agency was established under Legal Notice No. 89 of 2026 as an autonomous regulatory and technical body mandated to coordinate cybersecurity matters nationally.
The board is expected to provide strategic oversight and strengthen coordination among institutions responsible for protecting Kenya’s cyberspace as the country increasingly embraces digital technologies
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