Government on Course to secure cyberspace for Kenyan’s online safety

Kakamega,

Thursday, September 14, 2023

KNA by Moses Wekesa

Residents from Western Kenya have given their inputs during a public participation forum on the proposed computer misuse and cybercrimes (Critical Information Infrastructure and Cybercrime Management) Draft Regulations 2023.

This comes as the government moves to secure cyberspace to align it with the digitalization agenda that is opening massive opportunities including online jobs for Kenyans.

The Government has so far digitized 7000 services, established public Wi-Fi hotspots and extended the digital superhighway.

Speaking in Bungoma, Western Regional Commissioner Irungu Macharia noted that as the government digitalizes most services and creates Wi-Fi for access by the public, there will be increased challenges of cyberattacks especially to those people who are not tech savvy.

He said that the cybercrimes act stipulates regulations and some other penalties to be meted against those who will violate the digital space and put Kenyans at risk as they navigate the cyberspace urging all Kenyans to acquaint themselves with the proposed law.

Western Regional Police Commander Kiprono Langat noted that the act will support police during their investigations to ensure criminals who are assaulting citizens in cyberspace are apprehended and charged.

“In the past we were not able to serve our citizens to get justice because we lacked proper legislation and they ended up going back home dejected, however from today we are going to ensure that we work on their cases and they get the justice they are seeking,” he added.

While leading the Public Participation forum, the Head of Cybersecurity Policy and Standards at the National Computer and Cybercrimes Committee in the Ministry of Interior Dr. David Njoga said the discussion was meant to manage Kenya’s cyber ecosystem using regulations that can better implement the computer misuse and cybercrimes act that was enacted in 2018.

“We believe these regulations are handy coming at a time when the country is aggressively becoming a digital economy regionally and globally,” he pointed out.

He disclosed that the government’s agenda on digitization is increasing the digital footprints making Kenyans who use the digital space vulnerable hence need to be secured to support the social economic agenda.

Courtesy; KNA