Kenya has called on African countries to strengthen cross-border cybersecurity cooperation, improve intelligence sharing, and invest in digital skills to counter the growing threat of cybercrime fuelled by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, William Kabogo, noted that the increasing integration of African digital networks, payment systems and public services required countries to adopt coordinated approaches to cybersecurity.
In a keynote address read on his behalf by Principal Secretary (PS) for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Stephen Isaboke, during the official opening of Cyberweek Africa 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kabogo observed that cyber threats were increasingly crossing national borders, exposing governments, businesses and citizens to sophisticated attacks.
He pointed out that more than 3,500 delegates from over 20 countries had gathered for the fifth edition of the conference, including more than 300 young people participating in a cybersecurity hackathon.
The event is being held under the theme ‘Cyber Threat Intelligence in the Age of AI’, focuses on the evolving relationship between Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity.
It brings together government leaders, cybersecurity experts, private-sector representatives, academics and young innovators to discuss emerging cyber threats and strategies for building a safer digital environment across Africa.
Kabogo mentioned that while AI was helping security teams identify intrusions faster, cybercriminals were also exploiting the technology to develop convincing phishing messages, clone voices, and identify vulnerabilities across multiple systems.
“Artificial intelligence now helps security teams detect intrusions within seconds. Criminals use the same technology to write convincing phishing messages, clone voices and probe thousands of systems for weaknesses at once,” he reiterated.
The CS highlighted that Africa’s growing digital integration, including efforts towards establishing a One Africa Network and implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol, made cybersecurity a shared continental responsibility.
He cited the increasing use of digital government services through Kenya’s eCitizen platform, noting that every additional service moved online, increased the need to strengthen the protection of public systems and citizens’ information.
According to Kabogo, the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre (National KE-CIRT/CC) recorded more than 11 billion cyber threat events against Kenyan systems during the last financial year, with most exploiting previously known vulnerabilities.
The CS assured that Kenya was committed to contributing its intelligence, technical capacity and operational experience to efforts aimed at securing Africa’s shared digital space.
Kabogo disclosed that the government had established the National Cybersecurity Agency through a presidential order published in the Kenya Gazette to lead national coordination and operate the National Cybersecurity Operations Centre.
Kabogo established that the existing structures would provide channels through which African partners could engage Kenyan authorities whenever cyber incidents affected multiple countries.
He also called for a supportive environment that encourages institutions to report cyberattacks promptly, rather than conceal breaches for fear of reputational damage or penalties.
“The Ministry will work with the National Cybersecurity Agency, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and sector regulators, to establish arrangements that protect institutions reporting incidents and ensure the confidentiality of shared information,” affirmed the CS.
Equally, he insisted that early reporting was essential in containing cyberattacks and preventing criminals from exploiting weaknesses across interconnected systems.
Kabogo maintained that Kenya will continue to collaborate with international partners through the International Counter Ransomware Initiative, Smart Africa and the African Union to strengthen cyber resilience.
He revealed that Parliament was considering Kenya’s accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which would strengthen international cooperation in investigating cross-border cybercrime and handling electronic evidence.
“The Government would also invest in building the capacity of investigators, prosecutors and judicial officers responsible for handling cybercrime cases,” stated the CS, stressing that effective cybersecurity required both appropriate legal frameworks and personnel equipped with the technical knowledge to investigate increasingly complex digital offences.
Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Stephen Isaboke, who represented the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy William Kabogo (Centre in Blue Suit), in a photo session alongside other stakeholders, during the official opening of Cyberweek Africa 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Tuesday, 27th October, 2026
He, therefore, urged African governments to strengthen collaboration between national response teams, law enforcement agencies, and other institutions responsible for protecting critical digital infrastructure.
On Artificial Intelligence (AI), Kabogo said the technology could help African cybersecurity teams analyse alerts, identify related incidents, and improve the coordination of responses across countries.
However, the CS cautioned that AI systems themselves required protection against tampering and misuse.
Specifically, he highlighted the Kenya Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025–2030 and the Kenya Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies Policy, which was being finalized, would guide the Government’s approach to the use of emerging technologies.
The CS emphasised that public institutions using AI for security operations should maintain clear human oversight.
Kabogo urged organisations holding sensitive information that needed long-term protection to begin preparing for the adoption of post-quantum cryptography, which is intended to protect digital information against future threats posed by quantum computing.
He mentioned that Africa needed to train more cybersecurity professionals, particularly threat analysts and incident handlers, to respond effectively to emerging risks.
The CS congratulated young people participating in the Cyberweek Africa hackathon, saying practical training opportunities, open learning resources, and capture-the-flag cybersecurity competitions could help develop the next generation of experts.
He particularly encouraged young women to pursue careers in cybersecurity and other technology-related fields.
Likewise, the CS challenged accounting officers, heads of public institutions and leaders across Africa to assess their organisation’s preparedness for cyberattacks.
He urged them to establish whether their systems contained known vulnerabilities, whether threat information was shared beyond individual institutions, and whether their teams were adequately prepared to handle attacks involving artificial intelligence.
Kabogo called on participating countries to translate discussions at the conference into practical arrangements for cooperation.
He urged every delegation to leave Nairobi with at least one concrete agreement with a counterpart from another country, including the establishment of contact points, joint cybersecurity exercises or arrangements for exchanging threat indicators.
The CS welcomed investment by companies exhibiting at the Conference, saying such investments could contribute to developing African talent and strengthening the continent’s cybersecurity capabilities.
He thanked ambassadors, high commissioners and partner governments for their support to Kenya and other African countries, noting that the continent was increasingly contributing skilled personnel and operational experience to global cybersecurity efforts.
The CS expressed optimism that the Nairobi Declaration, expected to conclude the conference’s deliberations, would provide a practical framework for national cyber response teams to share threat intelligence.
Kabogo called on delegates to use the conference to develop actionable solutions for protecting digital infrastructure and improving cooperation against cybercrime.
By Aron Kinyamasyo
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