By: Nana Appiah
Acquaye
Kenya’s Principal Secretary
for the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy, Eng. John Kipchumba
Tanui, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening national
cybersecurity following a meeting with the Acting Director-General of the
National Cybersecurity Agency (NCSA), Dr Stephen Obare.
Dr Obare paid a courtesy
call on Tanui to brief him on the ongoing process of establishing the Agency,
its operational priorities and strategic direction.
The meeting followed the
inauguration of the NCSA Board of Directors, which took place on November 2,
2026, marking a step towards establishing the Agency as a key institution in
Kenya’s national cybersecurity architecture.
Tanui acknowledged Obare’s
assumption of the acting leadership responsibility at what he described as an
important early stage in the process of establishing and operationalising the
Agency.
He said cybersecurity must
remain central to Kenya’s national development agenda as the country expands
its digital infrastructure, public services and innovation ecosystem.
“Digital transformation is
only as strong as the trust underpinning it,” Tanui said, emphasising that
securing the country’s digital space must remain a national priority.
He identified cybersecurity
as a development imperative, noting that trust in digital systems is
fundamental to the growth and sustainability of the digital economy.
Tanui also stressed the
importance of coordination among government institutions, regulators, the
private sector and academia, calling for stronger collaboration, intelligence
sharing and collective preparedness against emerging cyber threats.
He further highlighted the
need to expand cybersecurity capacity alongside digital adoption, saying
investments in technology must be matched by skilled professionals,
institutional readiness and sustained public awareness.
According to Tanui, every
digital public service, mobile financial transaction, digital learning platform
and critical information system depends on secure and resilient infrastructure.
He reaffirmed the State
Department for ICT and the Digital Economy’s commitment to working closely with
the NCSA to strengthen Kenya’s national cybersecurity posture, protect critical
digital infrastructure and build public confidence in the country’s digital
ecosystem.
