Safaricom convened its fourth annual Cybersecurity Summit in Nairobi, warning that artificial intelligence is fuelling a new wave of cyber threats as Kenya recorded 11.12 billion cyber threat events in the last financial year, a 29 per cent increase from 8.62 billion the year before.
The figures were released by the Communications Authority of Kenya, which cited data from the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team – Coordination Centre.
Group Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa said “Cybersecurity can no longer be treated as a technical safeguard added after a service is developed. It must be embedded from the start and strengthened through shared standards, responsible innovation and collaboration across sectors,” adding that “AI is expanding what is possible for businesses and society, but that opportunity must be built on trust.”
The summit, held under the theme “Harnessing AI, Strengthening Security,” examined deepfakes, AI-generated impersonation, automated scams, ransomware and the shortage of cybersecurity skills.
Kenyan small and medium-size enterprises account for about 98 per cent of businesses and contribute over 30 per cent to GDP, according to the Kenya Bankers Association, while Safaricom noted that micro, small and medium enterprises represent roughly 70 per cent of the country’s GDP, underscoring their vulnerability to costly breaches.
Safaricom promoted its Managed Security Operations Centre, which offers continuous threat monitoring, expert analysis and coordinated incident response, and its Software-Defined Wide Area Network service that provides centrally managed connectivity for businesses operating across multiple locations; the company did not disclose how many firms use the services, pricing or the number of incidents prevented.
The telco’s connectivity network reaches more than 99 per cent of Kenya’s population and its M-PESA platform serves 41 million customers; Safaricom reported annual revenues of KSh400 billion as at March 2026 and serves over 71.6 million customers across Kenya and Ethiopia.
The 11.12 billion figure reflects detected threat events, which can include activity that does not result in a breach, and does not indicate the amount of financial loss suffered by businesses.
