By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, 17 June 2026 - Kenya has taken another step toward acceding to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, following a nationwide public participation exercise whose findings are now under government review.
Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Dr. Raymond Omollo chaired a meeting to assess outcomes of the consultations on Kenya’s accession to the treaty, which sets standards for international cooperation against cybercrime.
The discussions considered stakeholder views on the Convention’s role in strengthening cybercrime prevention, international cooperation, data preservation and mutual legal assistance mechanisms. Concerns raised included constitutional safeguards, privacy, sovereignty and institutional preparedness.
“As we continue to expand our digital ecosystem under the Digital Superhighway pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, accession to the Convention presents an important opportunity to strengthen our cybersecurity, enhance international collaboration and reinforce the legal and operational frameworks required to combat evolving cyber threats,” Dr. Omollo said.
Kenya is seeking to join the world’s leading framework for international cooperation in combating misuse of computer systems and the internet. Once acceded to, the country would gain access to mutual legal assistance, cross-border investigations, and electronic evidence sharing with 82 jurisdictions currently party to the treaty.
The National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4) has submitted its public participation report to the PS following Cabinet approval in February 2026 to commence the accession process.
The accession now proceeds under the Treaty Making and Ratification Act, 2012, with Parliament serving as the final stage of domestic approval.
The Ministry of Interior noted that the move aligns with Kenya’s digital expansion agenda and will help authorities respond to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats that cross borders.
“Kenya is steadily making progress towards the accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime in a move that will ensure the country is part of the world’s leading framework for international cooperation,” the Ministry said in a statement.
The Budapest Convention, adopted in 2001, is the first international treaty on crimes committed via the Internet and other computer networks. It focuses on harmonising national laws, improving investigative techniques, and increasing cooperation among nations.
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