Kenya's Parliament has approved the creation of the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), establishing a central authority to defend critical digital infrastructure and coordinate the country's response to growing cyber threats.
The agency was established through the National Cyber security Agency Order, 2026, issued by President William Ruto under the State Corporations Act.
The NCSA will be responsible for protecting critical digital infrastructure, coordinating responses to cyber incidents, overseeing national cyber security strategy and auditing the resilience of key government and private-sector systems.
The agency's establishment comes as Kenya's growing reliance on mobile money, digital financial services, e-government platforms and online commerce increases exposure to cyber-crime, ransomware attacks, data breaches and other digital threats.
In a statement on Monday, Kenya's Interior Ministry described the approval as a major milestone in strengthening the country's capacity to prevent, detect and respond to cyber threats.
The NCSA will operate as an autonomous regulatory and technical body responsible for coordinating national cyber security initiatives and safeguarding critical information infrastructure that underpins government services, economic activity and national security.
"As government institutions, businesses and citizens become increasingly reliant on digital technologies, strengthening cybersecurity has become a national priority," the Interior Ministry said.
The agency will work closely with government agencies, security institutions, regulators, industry players, academia, development partners and international cyber security networks.
Its mandate includes overseeing national cybersecurity strategy, auditing critical infrastructure, managing the National Cyber Security Operations Centre, supporting sector-based operations centres and coordinating responses to cyber incidents.
The agency will also conduct technical assessments of digital networks, identify emerging vulnerabilities and issue technical advisories to improve cybersecurity preparedness across the country.
In addition, it will establish a Cyber Security Centre of Excellence to promote research, innovation, skills development and locally developed cybersecurity solutions.
The government said this will help address the country's cybersecurity skills gap through professional certification, specialised training and capacity-building programmes.
Cyber security responsibilities in Kenya have historically been spread across several institutions, including the Communications Authority of Kenya's National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team Coordination Centre, law enforcement agencies, sector regulators and government ICT bodies.
The government now believes a standalone agency will provide stronger national coordination, oversight of critical information infrastructure and a more unified response to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
It added that a secure digital environment is critical to protecting public institutions, safeguarding citizens' data, supporting business continuity, attracting investment and advancing Kenya's broader digital transformation agenda.
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