Principal Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Dr. Raymond Omollo has revealed that the ministry is working on making amendments to The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018 to address gaps in the changing cyberspace. The amendments will seek to curb emerging threats such as fraud, hacking, scams, and identity theft.
While addressing the press after meeting with the Cybersecurity Taskforce mandated with drafting regulations on cybercrimes and misuse of technology, the PS said the government was keen on implementing a much more coordinated approach in dealing with cybercrimes and sharing of data.
The Cybersecurity Taskforce has already come up with draft regulations for the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018. The draft regulations will pass through public participation and subsequently be tabled before the Parliament. Parliament will have to approve the draft regulations before the ministry can implement them.
The need for amendments to the 2018 Act is due to the fast-changing nature of technology. Therefore, more robust regulations and laws are required to effectively address emerging gaps and threats in the digital space. “There gaps, and part of that is a result of the element of time. The act was set in 2018 and between that time and now there has been a lot that has happened within the space”
According to the PS. advancements in digital technologies have led to the rise of new cyber risks. If the amendments to the Act are approved, they are expected to protect Kenyans, businesses and the government from cyber threats such as subversion, cyber terrorism and cyber fraud cases.
The Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act set up in 2018 seeks to protect the confidentiality, integrity and security of computer systems as well data. In addition, the Act was expected to curb cybercrimes and computer-related offenses.
