Data Protection Commissioner Kassait says over 10,000 services digitised as experts call for capacity building

Kenya's Data Protection Commissioner, Immaculate Kassait now says over 10,000 government services have been digitised in a deliberate effort to automate government services in the country, even as cyber security remains a major concern not just in the country but globally.

Equally experts are calling for capacity building and training to help protect data systems.

Speaking when she officiated the launch of  a cyber security hub at Riara University in Nairobi, Kassait outlined the government's plan to fully go digital, noting that it is aimed at accelerating service delivery.

"Key issues are to automate government services and we are now past 10,000 services. The other issue is to make sure we have 100,000 fibres across the country and WI-FI in every single locality.

"There is also the issue of skilling of young people. We have a 'Jitume' programme which is being championed by Konza and we have a government presidential cohort which recruits top students," said Kassait.

At the same time security expert Mark Mutunga says the initiative to automate government services however calls upon the commission to have top-of-the-range data protection initiatives.

"We will have collaboration and sharing of knowledge. We will collaborate with other colleagues and share knowledge all over the world, not only in Kenya because we know where we have a lot of connections.

"We shall also have education. We know that there are many jobs around the world and even online that can be good to us if we have the necessary training so we will be having skill-based training," said Mutunga.

Mutunga added that capacity building is crucial in new and emerging technologies and will help the country deal with many issues.

"Lack of capacity, not properly harnessed. We have a lot of bright people in this country that if given a chance can do a lot of great stuff. Wherever capacity you're developing here (at Riara) is global capacity.

"Anything IT is not local, and that is why cyber capacity that is in deficit is not just in Kenya, it is an issue that is global," said Mutunga.

Speaking at the same forum, ICT specialist and World Bank representative Tim Kelly says the World seeks to sponsor a multi-billion programme to help Kenya fight cyber crime in light of rising cyber attacks.

"In the last few months we have seen a huge increase in the number of attacks on Kenya's information networks.

"We as the World Bank are very much committed to improving the defences against cyber crime and for that we are sponsoring a programme which was approved by our board in March this year.

"It is to support the different actors within Kenya's digital space and strengthen their cyber security defences," assured Kelly.

The move comes on the back of Interior Principal Secretary (PS) Raymond Omollo's announcement back in August that the government has moved to regulate Kenyan cyberspace in order to tame the threats encountered in digital spaces.

The PS additionally announced the formation of a taskforce, which has already produced draft regulations aimed at improving the existing Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes Act 2018.

Among the offences are cyber espionage, unauthorised access to ICT systems, false information publication, child pornography, identity theft, cyber harassment, and cyber terrorism.