• Kenya plans National Cybersecurity Agency to coordinate response to digital threats

• Cabinet backs proposal, parliamentary approval expected after consultations

• Agency to oversee standards, operations centre and critical infrastructure security

Kenya plans to create a National Cybersecurity Agency (NCSA) to strengthen the country’s response to digital threats and support existing institutions, Information and Digital Economy Minister John Tanui said recently, according to local media.

“Cybersecurity is a very important area. It is not a problem of Kenya alone, it is a global challenge, and we must put the right structures in place to protect our digital space,” Tanui said. He added that the agency had already received Cabinet approval and that the proposal would be submitted to parliament after consultations with the interior ministry.

In an earlier briefing, Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo said the NCSA would serve as the central authority for coordinating cybersecurity, enforcing policy and managing threats. It would host the National Cybersecurity Operations Centre and oversee sector-specific units covering defence, finance, energy, health and other critical infrastructure.

The agency would also set standards, accredit training programmes, monitor compliance and harmonise legal and institutional frameworks nationwide.

Kenya’s existing regulatory framework includes the Data Protection Act (2019), which governs the fair and transparent processing of personal data, and the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2018), amended in 2025 to strengthen law enforcement powers against evolving threats. The country also has a National Cybersecurity Strategy (2022–2027) that serves as a roadmap for coordination, preparedness and capacity-building across sectors, and is in the process of ratifying the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.

Kenya ranks among Africa’s cybersecurity leaders, according to the International Telecommunication Union’s 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index. The country placed 21st globally and third in Africa, scoring highly on cooperation, capacity development and organisational measures. The report, however, identified gaps in regulatory and technical areas.

Isaac K. Kassouwi