It's Propaganda: Kindiki Ministry On Reuters Report Of China Hacking Kenya Govt

The Ministry of Interior on Thursday, May 25 dismissed fears that Chinese hackers had targeted critical government institutions seeking information over the ever-expanding debt.

In a statement by Principal Secretary (PS) Raymond Omollo, the Ministry maintained that there was no evidence to suggest that the technological infrastructure of President William Ruto's administration was under attack.

The Kithure Kindiki-led Ministry was responding to an article by Reuters that claimed that the hackers from China had invaded key government agencies over the ballooning debt.

"The allegations presented in the article have not been subjected to authoritative proof of existence by the relevant persons from both the Kenyan and the Chinese governments.

Interior PS, Raymond Omollo during an inspection tour of the venue for Madaraka Day and rehearsal exercises at the Embu University Grounds on May 24, 2023. /FACEBOOK.RAYMOND OMOLLO

"In the absence of the above, the alleged motive behind the said attacks cannot be subsequently established beyond doubt," stated Omollo in part.

The Ministry further noted that a bulk of the critical networking infrastructure deployed by the Government of Kenya is sourced from the People’s Republic of China.

In its view, it would be reasonable, therefore, to contemplate that if the country of origin desired to infiltrate the same systems it has helped install, it would unlikely engage third-party hackers.

The Ministry further argued that just like in many other countries across the globe, Kenya’s cybersecurity infrastructure is formative, and this portends inherent high-risk exposure to cyber threats. In simple terms, attempted cyber-attacks are not unordinary occurrences.

It noted that it, as well as other government agencies, is alive to the reality, and the necessary precautions that are under constant review to match the dynamic nature of the threats landscape have been deployed.

"The totality of the above leads to a supposition that the article, considering its choice of the so-called “cyber-security experts” interviewed, is aimed at provoking a particular response from the Government of Kenya.

"The deliberate stoking of panic and mistrust with an established vendor of sensitive infrastructure hints at geopolitical and global rivalries for markets for niche equipment and attendant services and leverages," added the statement.

The Interior Ministry further asked Kenyans to treat the article as sponsored propaganda, terming the wide circulation and the alacrity of its attribution by other foreign media with well-known inclinations as one that hints at a choreographed and concerted attack against Kenya’s sovereignty.

"The Government of Kenya will continue to strengthen the security and resilience of all its Critical Information Infrastructure Systems (CIIS). This is being done through the national security policy, cybersecurity laws (The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018 and The Data Protection Act of 2019) as well as other regulations.

"Kenya is also enhancing its threat detection and mitigation systems and capacities. Through the National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4), the Government is also investing in a stronger and better-coordinated cybersecurity regime," added the statement.

China on its part, through the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, also dismissed the Reuters report as “groundless, far-fetched and sheer nonsense”, noting in a statement on Thursday, May 25 that it was irresponsible and unprofessional for Reuters to accuse China of the hacking claims on mere hearsay.

The report on Wednesday, May 24 alleged that Chinese hackers had targeted Kenya’s government in a widespread, years-long series of digital intrusions against key ministries and state institutions stretching as far back as 2019.

The publication said it relied on three sources, cybersecurity research reports and Reuters’ own analysis of technical data related to the hackings.

The Spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya said relations between the two countries have grown robustly, dating back 60 years, and cautioned against assigning blame to any government without concrete evidence.