Cyberspace is now a central theatre of operations powering economies, governance and national security. As Kenya accelerates its digital transformation, the same ICT dependencies that enable innovation also introduce systemic vulnerabilities.
In response, the Government of Kenya has undertaken critical policy, legal, regulatory and institutional steps — including the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act 2018 and the National Cybersecurity Strategy 2022-27.
These interventions ensure protection and resilience of Critical Information Infrastructure, incident response, public safety, harmonized handling and prosecution of cybercrime and national security. Additionally, Kenya's aspiration to accede to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime underscores its commitment to international cooperation and alignment with global best practices.
The Government continues to build capabilities for cyber threat monitoring, sector-specific training, incident response coordination and enhanced international partnerships.
Kenya welcomes global stakeholders to participate in Cyber First East Africa 2026 on 08 July in Nairobi — a premier platform for cybersecurity dialogue, innovation and collaboration. NC4 affirms its mandate to ensure a secure cyberspace for Kenya and Its People.
Official statement · Government of Kenya
Summit Overview
East Africa's Top 200+ Security Leaders
200+DELEGATES
20+SPEAKERS
10+SESSIONS
10+MEDIA PARTNERS
6AWARDS
96%
Talent Gap
Kenya has solidified its position as a digital powerhouse in Africa, with rapid innovations driving unprecedented economic inclusion. However, this growth has expanded the national attack surface.
Organizations face a severe 96% talent shortage, with only 1,700 certified experts for a national requirement of over 40,000.
Over 4.5 billion cyber threats detected between October – December 2025. That is a 441% jump. 21.8 million security advisories sent out by KE-CIRT/CC.
Cyber First East Africa 2026 serves as the definitive nexus for C-level executives, technology leaders, and policymakers to synchronize efforts against escalating digital warfare.
The Threat
4.5B
Threats Detected
Why Now
Africa's Digital Powerhouse
Under Siege
KES 29.9 Billion Lost.
Over 4.5 billion cyber threats detected in Q4 2025 alone. Kenya's cybersecurity market projected to reach $92.64M by 2029.
Source: KE-CIRT/CC · Q4 2025
4.5B
System AttacksDetected Q4 2025
+441%
70.9M
MalwareUnpatched vulnerabilities
+22%
58.3M
DDoS AttacksHighest in East Africa
+112%
42.8M
Brute ForceCredential intrusions
+38%
11.7M
Web App AttacksApplication exploits
+67%
518K
Mobile ThreatsMobile detections
+15%
Leadership
Advisory Board & Speakers
Industry leaders shaping the summit agenda and driving cybersecurity excellence across East Africa.
Colonel (Dr.) James Kimuyu
Director
NC4
Emmanuel Kimeu
Secretary, ICT - Security and Audit Control - State Department of ICT and Digital Economy
Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy
Rosemary Koech-Kimwatu
Head of Data Protection
KCB Bank Group
Michael Etale
Chief Information Security Officer
Absa Bank
Hussein Omar Hussein
Director IT and Digital
SBM Bank Kenya
Frank K Muriuki
Lead - Information Security Officer
Kenyan Airports Authority
George Rugero
Head - Information Security
Airtel Rwanda
Collins Amadi
Head - Enterprise Security Architecture & IAM
Equity Bank Limited
Mutheu Nyagah - Khimulu
Advisory Board Member
African Centre for Security
George Kisaka
GRC Thought Leader and Practitioner
Shiphrah Wairima
President
Global Council for Responsible Artificial Intelligence (GCRAI)
Rakesh Ravindran
Associate Director
Deloitte
Geoffrey O. Ochieng
Global AI Delegate to Kenya
Global Alliance for Artificial Intelligence (GAFAI)
S.W.Ole Gamba
Managed Cyber Security Services Manager
Safaricom
Brendon Meyer
Sr. Solutions Engineer
BeyondTrust
Hamid Bafghi
Director Sales & Partnership MEA
CYFIRMA
Chandra Dhar Pasupureddy
Director, Sales - META & CIS
Cyware
Grace Nekesa Waswa
Managing Consultant
Banamad Africa
Timothy Mburu
CIO
Liberty Life and Heritage Insurance (K) Ltd
Miki Alkalay
CTO
Adili Group
Michael Michie
AI Industry and Advisory Council
Moringa School
Richard Kanzira
Head of Cybersecurity
Office of the President - Uganda
Irene Makau
Research Officer
The Oversight Lab
+
More Speakers
Coming soon
Event Sponsors 2026
Partnering with industry leaders
The brands shaping the East African cyber conversation alongside us
Six critical tracks addressing East Africa's most pressing cybersecurity challenges.
Critical Infrastructure
Track 01
Critical Infrastructure
Formulating resilient defense mechanisms against APTs, ransomware proliferation, and high-volume DDoS attacks exceeding 1Tbps.
Governance & Privacy
Track 02
Governance & Privacy
Strategically aligning enterprise architectures with the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (CMCA) and national directives for data privacy and legal compliance.
Cloud & Zero Trust
Track 03
Cloud & Zero Trust
Eradicating implicit trust against social engineering and insider threats while navigating migration to hybrid/public cloud.
Human Firewall
Track 04
Human Firewall
Accelerating capacity-building models and institutional partnerships to transform the workforce into an active 'human firewall'.
AI & Threat Intel
Track 05
AI & Threat Intel
Leveraging AI for automated, proactive threat detection and incident response against algorithmic cyber-attacks.
Global Partnerships
Track 06
Global Partnerships
Driving regional/global collaboration frameworks to democratize actionable cyber intelligence and fortify cross-border defense.
Agenda
The Day's Programme
A single-track programme — keynotes, leadership panels and live demos from 08:00 to 14:45.
Morning Session
08:00 – 12:00
08:00 – 09:00Registration, Networking, and Refreshments
☕
09:10 – 09:15Keynote
National Anthem - Kenya and East Africa
09:15 – 09:20Keynote
Welcome Remarks
09:20 – 09:35Keynote
Opening Keynote
The Cybersecurity Mandate Roadmap – NC4 and Kenya's Cyber Economy
Col Dr James Kimuyu – Director, National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4)
09:35 – 10:15Panel
Leadership Panel
Who Owns the Risk? Boards, Regulators and CISOs under New Expectations
Governance focused on accountability, reporting, and decision making for cyber risk across sectors, how responsibility is shared, what effective governance looks like in practice
Safeguarding national critical infrastructure and policy synchronization
Mutheu Nyagah Khimulu, Advisory Board Member, African Centre for Security
Panelists
Emmanuel Kimeu, Secretary, ICT Security and Audit Control - State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, Ministry of Information, Communications and The Digital Economy
Richard Kanzira, Head of Cybersecurity, Office of the President - Uganda
Grace Nekesa Waswa, Managing Consultant, Banamad Africa
Rosemary Koech-Kimwatu, Head of Data Protection, KCB Bank Group
Hamid Bafghi, Director – Sales & Partnership MEA, Cyfirma
Afternoon Session
12:00 – 15:30
12:00 – 12:15Presentation
Technology Presentation
Intel to Impact: Turning Threat Intelligence into Action
Chandra Dhar Pasupureddy, Director, Sales – META & CIS, Cyware
12:15 – 12:45Networking Break and Refreshments
☕
12:45 – 13:25Panel
Panel Discussion
Keeping the Lights On - Practical Resilience Against DDoS, Ransomware and Network Disruptions
Keeping critical services available under intense pressure and concrete strategies for maintaining availability of critical services under DDoS waves, network issues, and ransomware across sectors
Service classification - what must never go down, for how long
Technology and process for DDoS mitigation on public services
We'll shine a spotlight on the visionaries and organizations leading the way in technological advancements.
01
Cybersecurity Innovation Award
Recognizing groundbreaking solutions in threat detection and defence technologies.
02
Excellence in Cyber Resilience Award
Honouring organizations that have demonstrated robust recovery and adaptation to cyber incidents.
03
Emerging Cybersecurity Leader Award
Celebrating young professionals or startups making significant contributions to the field.
04
Public Sector Cybersecurity Achievement Award
Acknowledging government initiatives that enhance national digital security.
05
The Master of the Attack Surface (Zero Trust Pioneer)
This awards a C-suite leader or architectural team that has executed the most sophisticated, seamless implementation of Zero Trust Architecture, effectively neutralizing external and internal threats without hindering business operations.
06
The Sentinel of Critical Infrastructure
This is dedicated to a public sector entity, utility company, or financial institution that has implemented highly creative strategies to safeguard national data and physical infrastructure from disruption.
Who Can Be Nominated
Government and regulatory authorities
Enterprises and private sector organisations
Banking and financial institutions
Critical infrastructure operators
Cybersecurity and technology innovators
Join Us
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