Kenya and the United Kingdom (UK) have partnered in the war against cyber-crimes to weed out security threats posed since the inception of digital technology.
State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary (PS) Esther Koimett said that as the country moves to fully embrace the provision of services through a digital platform in all sectors of the economy, there was need to shield the online systems from threats.
She told a workshop for government communicators on cyber security crisis communication held on Tuesday at a Nairobi hotel said that there has been a steady rise in cyber threats across the world and Kenya has been no exception, with websites of various ministries being constantly under cyber-attack.
“This training is therefore important as it will enhance our capacity as government communicators to effectively play our role in informing citizens about how to protect themselves from cyber threats like the ever-emerging scams and fraudulent schemes,” said the PS.
Koimett said that the objective of the training is to strengthen the strategic communications capability of the UK government, its allies and partners to jointly understand and counter cyber threats from hostile state actors given the increasing importance of technology and digitization in the delivery of services in every aspect of human interaction.
“The training project consists of communications planning, delivery and training to support crisis communications and campaigns capability development for partner countries. It also touches on research and insights on critical audience vulnerabilities to underpin joint strategies and campaign development,” she said.
Koimett highlighted that the government of Kenya is cognizant of the importance of Public Communications and they strategically utilise Public Communications to promote government policies, programmes and strategies to cultivate a positive image and build confidence in government.
“I wish to acknowledge the cordial and close working relations between the governments of Kenya and the UK and to thank the UK government for facilitating this training programme that has allowed knowledge-sharing in communications experience and skills,” said Koimett.
British Deputy High Commissioner, Josephine Gauld stated that technology has made lives easier and the UK Government provides most of their services online adding that cyber security threats might lead to a national security crisis if not well handled.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
