Media report about a series of digital intrusions against key Kenyan ministries and state institutions allegedly carried out by Chinese hackers has sparked debate in the East African country about the security of the nation’s systems. The report about China, Kenya’s largest creditor, carrying out hacking attacks on the East African country’s government that was published by Reuters last Wednesday May 24 left many Kenyans in disbelief and wondering how secure actually their systems are and how prepared they are to repel similar attacks. As of January 2023, Kenya’s external debt stood at $34 billion, a sixth of which was owed to China, which remains the East African nation’s largest creditor after the World Bank. The Chinese government funded large portions of the Kenyan Fiber Optic backbone, which was built by Huawei. China also co-funded the ‘Pakistan, East Africa, Connecting Europe’ (PEACE) undersea cable as part of the Digital Silk Road Project

Source: The North Africa Journal May 27, 2023 19:31 UTC