AI and Cybersecurity in Kenya and Africa: Who Holds the Power?

By Moses Kemibaro

We are living in a time when the rapid pace of digital transformation, while unlocking immense opportunity, is also dramatically expanding the cyber threat surface.

The digital age has become both a blessing and a battleground. As Kenya races towards a digital-first economy, it’s clear that cybersecurity is no longer a peripheral issue it is a core strategic imperative.

In Q2 2025 alone, Kenya experienced a staggering 840.9 million cyber threat events a 27.2% increase from the previous quarter, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya and SOC Radar’s Kenya Threat Landscape Report 2025.

The most common attack methods include AI-powered phishing campaigns, ransomware-as-a-service, and advanced social engineering attacks. Their targets? Government systems, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and increasingly, universities and public utilities with outdated infrastructure and under-trained personnel.

This is no longer just about malicious code. Today’s cybercriminals use generative AI to deceive, infiltrate, and automate their operations at scale. Firewalls and passwords alone are no longer sufficient.

We are entering a new era one where AI and automation are essential pillars of digital defense. But a critical question remains: Who controls these technologies, and are they aligned with our local realities?

AI and Cybersecurity in Kenya and Africa: Who Holds the Power?

The Opportunity and Risk of Imported AI Security Solutions

Microsoft provides a powerful case study of AI-enabled cybersecurity at scale. The tech giant processes over 78 trillion cybersecurity signals daily—far more than any human team can manage.

Its generative AI tool, Copilot for Security, offers real-time threat summaries, automated responses, and guidance to security teams. Early data shows improvements in both speed and accuracy, benefiting novices and experts alike.

In Kenya, where there’s a notable shortage of cybersecurity professionals, these tools could be revolutionary. According to the national Cybersecurity Strategy 2025–2029, building skilled human capital is a top priority.

Yet most universities still lack specialised cybersecurity programs, and many SMEs remain without basic monitoring tools.

Solutions like Copilot could help close the gap but they’re not enough. What Kenya and Africa need is not just a toolbox of imported tech, but a locally grounded cybersecurity ecosystem.

That includes trained professionals, resilient and locally hosted infrastructure, and policies created for our context not copy-pasted from abroad.

It also requires cross-sector collaboration, regional threat intelligence, and AI governance frameworks rooted in digital sovereignty and ethical values.

Phyllis Migwi, Country General Manager for Microsoft Kenya, underscores this need: “As we navigate Kenya’s unique cybersecurity landscape, local and sustainable innovation must lead the charge.

Artificial intelligence offers transformative potential, but its real impact depends on understanding our context and closing critical local gaps.”

Cyber Resilience Must Be Local, Ethical, and Inclusive

AI is not a neutral force. The systems we increasingly depend on are built outside our borders designed according to foreign priorities and legal assumptions.

As Kenya adopts these systems at scale, we must ask whether they reflect our values, uphold our legal frameworks, and protect our data sovereignty.

While the 2019 Data Protection Act was a solid step, its enforcement remains inconsistent. As global cloud infrastructure expands in Kenya, we must stop relying on trust alone.

Strong enforcement, meaningful user consent, and local oversight must keep pace with the tech. This isn’t about rejecting innovation it’s about asserting a seat at the table.

Encouragingly, Kenya’s Cybersecurity Strategy outlines plans for a National Cybersecurity Operations Centre, more intelligence sharing, and increased regional cooperation.

One standout initiative is a new regional collaboration launched in Geneva at the Global Conference on Cyber Capacity Building.

It includes Kenya’s NC4 and focuses on real-world simulations and co-designed response tools. This partnership model grounded in shared context is a promising shift from passive adoption to proactive co-creation.

Cybersecurity is no longer just a technology issue it’s a governance, societal, and national security concern. Migwi adds, “By collaborating across public and private sectors, we can ensure AI-driven security tools are both powerful and empowering.”

There’s no doubt AI and automation are shaping the future of cybersecurity. But we must ask: Whose vision of the future are we building and who gets to shape it?

Kenya’s cybersecurity future must be authored by Kenyans through homegrown policy, local talent, strategic partnerships, and tough but necessary negotiations with global players.

The battleground may be global, but the impact is always local. We must act with urgency and boldness to ensure Kenya’s digital rise is not only secure but sovereign.

https://africabusinessnews.co.ke/will-ai-take-our-jobs-the-real-challenge-is-adapting/

Moses Kemibaro is the Founder & CEO of Dotsavvy, a leading Digital Transformation Agency in Kenya.