By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, 3 August 2026 - Kenya has emerged as East Africa's leading cybercrime hotspot, with international investigators warning that the country's rapid digital expansion is being exploited by increasingly sophisticated criminal networks targeting mobile money users, telecommunications firms and critical infrastructure.
A new INTERPOL African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 identifies Kenya as one of the region's most vulnerable countries to cyberattacks, citing a sharp rise in mobile money fraud, phishing campaigns and ransomware attacks.
According to the report, Kenya recorded more than 46,786 Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks targeting telecommunications companies during the first half of 2025. Such attacks overwhelm online systems with massive volumes of internet traffic, disrupting services relied upon by millions of users.
"Kenya recorded more than 46,786 DDoS attacks in the first half of 2025 targeting telecoms," the report states, adding that the country also featured among SOCRadar's top phishing detections in September 2025.
INTERPOL says Kenya's booming digital economy, particularly the widespread use of mobile money, has become an attractive target for cybercriminals, while security measures have struggled to keep pace with the rapidly evolving threat landscape.
The report also highlights findings by the Communications Authority of Kenya, which recorded hundreds of millions of attempted intrusions against government and ICT infrastructure between July and September 2025. Most of the attacks involved brute-force techniques and system exploitation aimed at breaching digital networks.
One of the most notable incidents occurred in July 2025, when hackers briefly compromised the official website of the Presidency, defacing the homepage with a message demanding a Bitcoin ransom reportedly worth about KSh 41 million.
Mobile money fraud has also escalated significantly. INTERPOL says SIM swap fraud increased by 327% during 2025, with more than 123,000 fraudulent SIM cards issued and an estimated US$3.8 million stolen from mobile wallets.
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While cyber threats are rising across East Africa, Kenya's figures stand out. Uganda experienced a suspected ransomware attack targeting its national electricity transmission company, while Tanzania and Rwanda have also reported increasing SIM swap fraud as telecom providers struggle to implement real-time biometric verification systems.
Beyond the region, South Africa continues to record the highest number of ransomware attacks on the continent, accounting for 92 per cent of all ransomware detections in Africa. Meanwhile, West Africa remains a major centre for business email compromise scams, particularly in Nigeria and Cabo Verde.
INTERPOL warns that the growing sophistication of cybercriminals demands stronger regional cooperation, arguing that fragmented national responses are allowing criminal groups to exploit differences in laws and enforcement across borders.
"The absence of a unified regional cybercrime response mechanism has allowed criminal networks to exploit jurisdictional boundaries between nations," the report says.
The agency notes that Kenya has begun strengthening its legal framework through the proposed Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Bill 2024, which specifically targets SIM swap fraud and scam calls. However, it cautions that legislation alone will not be enough unless accompanied by stronger cybersecurity systems, regional collaboration and improved protection of critical digital infrastructure.