New platform opens affordable cybersecurity services to small businesses

Principal secretary for ICT and digital economy John Tanui with principal secretary mining Harry Kimtai arrive for the launch of SecureKE platform in Nairobi on November 10, 2026/ ALICE WAITHERAKenyan businesses and government agencies are set to benefit from improved protection against cybercrime.

This follows the launch of a shared cybersecurity platform aimed at strengthening the country’s digital defences.

The SecureKE platform, launched through a partnership between Konza Technopolis Development Authority and local technology firm SecureKE, aims to provide affordable cybersecurity services to organisations that cannot establish their own Security Operations Centres (SOCs).

Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy John Tanui said the initiative would address vulnerabilities as more government services, businesses and essential public functions move online.

“Kenya has done quite a lot when it comes to digital infrastructure. We have done well in connectivity and digitisation, but there is still a lot that needs to be done, especially in ensuring we have the human resources to secure our country,” he said.

The platform will provide SOC services, enabling organisations to monitor their systems, detect threats and respond to cyberattacks without investing heavily in equipment, infrastructure and specialised personnel.

The launch comes amid rising cyber threats. The Communications Authority of Kenya reported approximately 2.7 billion cyber threat events between July and September 2026.

The 2.696 billion incidents represented a 14.45 per cent increase from the 2.36 billion recorded in the previous quarter.

System attacks accounted for the largest share, while malware threats rose to 70.8 million and web application attacks reached 27.4 million.

Kenya has also experienced high-profile attacks targeting government websites, including those of State House and the Ministries of Health, Interior and ICT, in November 2025.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank of Kenya’s Financial Sector Stability Report 2025 showed that reported cyber fraud cases in the banking industry increased from 353 in 2024 to 385 in 2025. Losses also rose from Sh1.59 billion to Sh1.9 billion.

Tanui said the shared model would allow organisations to access protection based on their financial capacity. The initiative is particularly aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises, savings and credit cooperative societies, and government departments.

Smaller businesses could access the services for approximately Sh200,000 annually, avoiding the costs of employing dedicated cybersecurity teams or establishing their own monitoring facilities.

The government is also working with universities, technical training institutions and international technology companies, including Cisco and Huawei, to develop specialised cybersecurity skills.

Konza Technopolis chief executive John Paul Okwiri said the authority was targeting the onboarding of as many government agencies as possible within the current quarter.

He said the Ministry of ICT and the Digital Economy, working with the State Corporations Advisory Committee, was expected to issue a directive encouraging government agencies to adopt the service.

SecureKE Chief Executive Naftali Nyambuto said cybersecurity should be accessible to organisations regardless of their size or financial capacity.

“Security is supposed to be universal for all organisations regardless of size. If an organisation cannot afford to establish its own security operations centre, it should not mean that it cannot be secure,” he said.

Principal Secretary for Mining Harry Kimtai challenged local innovators and young technology professionals to develop home-grown solutions rather than rely excessively on foreign expertise.

The initiative aligns with the Digital Master Plan 2022–2032, which identifies infrastructure, connectivity and the digitisation of public services as key pillars of Kenya’s digital transformation.

The plan estimates that approximately Sh500 billion will be required to develop the country’s digital infrastructure.