With a visit to the United States and his country’s designation by the US as a major non-NATO ally, Kenyan President William S. Ruto plans to accelerate the African nation’s technological progress, with boosting the training of cybersecurity specialists and hardening defenses against cyberattacks among the priorities.
During May 23 meetings with President Biden, President Ruto committed to the Framework for Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace — an existing agreement between European, North American, and Asian countries — to follow specific norms in cyberspace. The US and Kenya’s leaders also agreed to share threat information between partners in the East Africa region and highlighted private industry collaborations, including a joint effort between the Kenyan government and Google to establish a cyber-operations platform along with an e-government pilot project. The US also committed to providing policy and regulatory advisory services.
“The United States and Kenya seek to work together to uplift the Kenyan model for digital transformation in Africa, especially through its dynamic digital ecosystem known as the ‘Silicon Savannah,'” the leaders said in a joint statement. “We recognize cybersecurity is the foundation for a secure and resilient digital ecosystem.”
The news comes as Kenya has seen a spike in attacks, including significantly disruptive incidents. For instance, the country suffered a massive denial-of-service attack that disrupted access to its e-Citizen…
