Nairobi, Kenya — Kenya’s thriving ICT sector is facing a growing threat from cyber criminals even as fresh data shows remarkable growth in mobile subscriptions, broadband penetration and digital transactions.
The latest Q3 2024/2025 Sector Statistics Report, released by the Communications Authority (CA), reveals a sharp spike in cyber threats detected across the country’s expanding digital ecosystem — a stark reminder that Kenya’s digital transformation comes with escalating security risks.
Between January and March 2025, the number of cyber threats detected rose by a staggering 201.7%, jumping from 841 million in the previous quarter to 2.5 billion. The surge is mainly linked to a massive rise in identified system vulnerabilities and attempted brute-force attacks on critical systems.
The national Computer Incident Response Team (KE-CIRT/CC) issued 13.2 million advisories during the period — up 14.2% — as it scrambled to help businesses and individuals respond to an increasingly hostile cyber landscape.
“The digital economy’s gains are real, but so are the threats. Companies must double down on cybersecurity investment or risk undermining years of progress,” said a Nairobi-based cybersecurity analyst.
Despite the mounting cyber risks, the ICT sector continued its upward trend during the third quarter of the financial year.
Mobile connectivity remains the backbone, with active SIM subscriptions growing 6.7% to 76.2 million, pushing penetration above 145%. Mobile money subscriptions rose by 7.2% to reach 45.4 million, cementing Kenya’s status as a global leader in mobile financial services.
The hunger for faster and more reliable internet also intensified. Mobile broadband subscriptions edged up 2.4%, while fixed internet subscriptions — especially fibre-to-home connections — saw a robust 8.1% growth. Safaricom PLC, Jamii Telecommunications Ltd, and Poa Internet continue to dominate the market.
The data shows traditional postal services are in sharp decline, with domestic letters handled by the Postal Corporation of Kenya plummeting by 82.1%. In contrast, cross-border e-commerce boosted international outgoing parcels by 477.5%, highlighting the changing dynamics in logistics and courier services.
With Kenya’s digital footprint expanding rapidly, the surge in detected cyber threats is raising alarms for businesses and consumers alike. Malware, brute force attacks, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attempts continue to target critical infrastructure and everyday digital transactions.
“This is a wake-up call for all organisations — from SMEs to large corporates — to prioritise cybersecurity alongside network expansion,” the analyst added.
The report also indicates that Kenya’s internet ecosystem will require more robust collaboration between government, telcos, and private businesses to keep pace with evolving cyber threats.
As Kenya’s digital economy grows in size and complexity, balancing growth with strong cyber resilience will remain one of the sector’s defining challenges in the coming years.
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