Stakeholders advocate for embedded security measures as Nairobi hosts Cyber Week

Under the theme, “Compliance by Design: Securing Africa’s Digital Future,” the gathering sets the stage for a high-level continental dialogue to strengthen Africa’s digital resilience and cybersecurity innovation.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, ICT CS William Kabogo, emphasized the importance of cybersecurity to Kenya’s national and economic development.

“The theme ‘Compliance by Design’ captures the paradigm shift in our national approach. It means embedding security, privacy, and accountability into the design of every digital system from inception. Cybersecurity is not just a technical necessity, it is a pillar of our national sovereignty and an enabler of economic growth,” said CS Kabogo.

Prof. Nura Mohamed, Director General of the Kenya School of Government (KSG), highlighted the institution's mission to foster digital transformation through collaboration, research, and skill development.

“What we are trying to do is bring together all stakeholders so that we can drive the cybersecurity and artificial intelligence agenda especially in the public sector, because that is important. That is why we have established the Regional Center of Competence for Digital Skilling and Artificial Intelligence one of its kind, to guide the full implementation of AI, digital skilling, and cybersecurity,” said Prof. Mohamed.

The landmark event was hosted by the Kenya School of Government (KSG), in partnership with the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (MOICDE), The National Computer and Cybercrimes Coordination Committee (NC4), CyberPro Global, and Huawei. 

The conference highlighted the necessity for collaborative partnerships to strengthen Africa’s digital security. 

In alignment with the focus on skill development, Huawei Kenya Enterprise Business Managing Director, Samuel Cheng, reiterated the company’s devotion to enhancing secure, future-ready digital systems and expanding local cybersecurity capacity.

“As an industry, we must ensure that our networks and systems are resilient and secure. As a critical provider of such networks and systems, Huawei is firmly committed to ensuring that our solutions are secure and to developing leading network security solutions,” said Mr. Cheng.

Coinciding with the event, Huawei also celebrated the graduation of 40 government staff who completed advanced network security training. 

The training equips public servants with essential technical and policy skills to enhance cyber defenses and promote a culture of cybersecurity across public institutions.

Providing a global context, Israeli Ambassador to Kenya, Gideon Behar, praised Kenya’s leadership and shared insights from Israel’s cybersecurity experience.

“If a country doesn’t have cybersecurity today, it cannot advance, because everything is digitalized. Cybersecurity is essential for the development and well-being of every nation. Israel stands ready to support Kenya’s vision of becoming a regional hub for digital innovation and cybersecurity excellence,” said Ambassador Behar.

Cyber Week Africa 2025 occurs at a time when Kenya faces a rising hassle in cybercrime attacks, reinforcing the importance of strengthening national cyber resilience. 

The conference placed Kenya’s leadership at the forefront in securing partnerships with public and private sectors to build a secure and innovation-driven digital economy.