‘My Job is not to write code or program computers’: CS Kabogo hits back at critics

Speaking to Inooro TV on Wednesday, Kabogo said the criticism reflected a fundamental misunderstanding of what a Cabinet Secretary does. 

"I was not made CS to write code or do programming," he said. "My job is to coordinate resources, including human beings, to ensure they do what they are supposed to do."

Kabogo emphasized that his ministry houses vibrant professionals capable of handling technical matters. 

His role, he contended, was orchestrating their efforts and aligning stakeholder interests across the sector.

"Since I became CS, the stakeholders have been very happy," he said, citing endorsements from American and Kenyan chambers of commerce, content creators, and business groups affected by various issues. "We are able to streamline issues."

To illustrate his point, Kabogo drew a parallel to other Cabinet positions. "The Minister of Health does not necessarily have to be a doctor. If that were the argument, then the President would need to be skilled in all areas, which is impossible. That is why he has a team of experts."

Beyond defending his qualifications, Kabogo signaled an aggressive regulatory stance against unlicensed betting platforms and digital lenders operating outside oversight frameworks.

He said some betting apps emerged as significant social concern, with Kabogo describing them as destructive. "These betting apps have destroyed families," he said, noting that many operate without licenses and fall afoul of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act.

The Secretary painted a broader picture of financial recklessness. "Kenya has become a betting society.

There are funny financial institutions operating without licenses, people acting as shylocks and fleecing Kenyans," he said, using the colloquial reference to illegal moneylenders.

Kabogo pointed to concrete enforcement action as evidence of ministerial focus. 

His office has tracked unlicensed fintech operations across borders. "We followed Eyecoin to Germany to delete the data they had collected in Kenya," he disclosed.

The Cabinet Secretary also flagged emerging threats from artificial intelligence misuse. The Communications Authority, he said, would soon release regulations governing ethical AI deployment.

"The CA will come up with regulations around the ethical use of AI, because people are taking advantage of AI to assassinate the characters of others," Kabogo warned, pointing to deepfakes and AI-generated disinformation as mounting threats to Kenyan citizens.