MP Amisi links State House website hack to alleged Ksh.1.89B cyber-security scandal

Saboti Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi has demanded that the government provide answers regarding an alleged unfolding scandal worth over Ksh.1.89 billion on cyber-security maintenance. 

In a press briefing on Tuesdy, the lawmaker claimed to have reliable intel indicating a plot to inflate the figures for corrupt means.

He referenced the recent incident in July where the State House website was allegedly hacked and the hackers demanded a ransom in Bitcoin equivalent to approximately Ksh.41 million.

The website, president.go.ke, showed that its official content had been replaced with demeaning messages directed at the Head of State.

Hours later, the website services were restored with ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo then assuring that no sensitive government data was compromised during the cyber incident. 

According to Amisi, however, the incident was a hoax aimed at paving the way for a scandal whereby all government institutions were required to pay Ksh.4.7 million each for the maintenance of the .go.ke domain.

"Our concern, however, is not cybersecurity. Our concern is the cost. How did we arrive at a figure of approximately Ksh.4.7 million per institution, which adds up to about Ksh.1.8 billion from the targeted institutions, given the economic difficulties facing the country and the serious financial challenges confronting many public institutions?" Amisi posed.

The People’s Renaissance Movement (PM) party leader legislator questioned why registration and annual maintenance of the .go.ke domain amounted to such high figures while the .ke domains cost on average Ksh.1,500 depending on the provider and the package, 

He demanded that the Head of Public Service, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Parliament and relevant government agencies provide a clear explanation on how the Ksh.4.7 million figure was determined. 

"Who stands to benefit from these extraordinary costs? I am reliably informed that although the CA is the recipient of these fees, they are only retaining 15% while the rest is being transferred to a private entity. The question is was this private entity chosen after a competitive bid?" he posed.