Engineer John Kipchumba Tanui, Kenya's principal secretary: department of ICT and digital Economy.

Kenya is asking for stronger global punishments as part of efforts to combat rampant cyber-crime.

The East African country is concerned about the cyber-attacks derailing the benefits expected from the fourth industrial revolution.

This comes as the latest cyber security report by Liquid C2 - 'The Evolving Cyber Security Landscape in Africa 2022', warns that cyber-attacks on businesses in Kenya, South Africa, and Zambia increased by 76% in the last two years.

Kenyan businesses reported an 82% increase in such attacks, while South African companies recorded a 62% increase, and the Zambian ones had a 62% surge.

Yesterday, Kenyan deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua, made the call on cyber security alertness as he presided over the just-concluded 41st International Association of Science Parks (IASP) World Conference, held in the capital, Nairobi.

“One of such challenges is cyber security threats. Criminals are innovating to be ahead of everyone,” he told delegates.

“With the globe predicted to lose US$23 trillion by the year 2026, we must invest more in securing the digital ecosystem,” Gachagua advised.

“This calls for harmonisation of laws and policies, to ensure stricter and prohibitive penalties against national, international and transnational cyber crime.”

IASP, where Gachagua was presenting, is an association of innovation communities worldwide.

At the core of its mission lately is the development of science parks, defined as an area devoted to scientific research or the development of science-based or technological industries.

John Tanui, principal Secretary in Kenya’s Department for ICT and Digital Economy, is president of the Africa division at the IASP board.

At the event in Nairobi, he called for collaboration between local science parks and the facilities globally.

According to the official, there are six science parks in Kenya and 15 in the continent.

This is out of around 320 globally.