'Sponsored propaganda!' Gov't rubbishes claims of being hacked by China

The government has dismissed a news report published on May 23 by an international media house alleging that key State systems and infrastructure were compromised by hackers working under the command of the Chinese government.

In a statement to newsrooms on Thursday evening, Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo labelled the allegations as propaganda while noting that there is no evidence to substantiate the claims.

U.K-based media house Reuters, in its report, had claimed that China hacked key Kenyan ministries and State institutions with the aim of gaining information on debt owed to Beijing by Kenya.

According to PS Omollo, however: "The alleged motive behind the said attacks cannot be subsequently established beyond doubt."

The PS went on to state that many key Kenyan systems and  infrastructure are deployed by the Chinese government as such it wouldn't make sense for Beijing to hire third-party hackers to infiltrate the systems.

"It is reasonable, therefore, to contemplate that if the country of origin desired to infiltrate the same systems it has helped install, it would unlikely engage third-party hackers," he said.

While acknowledging the threats of cyber attacks, Omollo reiterated that Kenya has put in place strong cyber-security safeguards to protect sensitive national data and infrastructure.

"Just like in many other countries across the globe, Kenya’s cyber security infrastructure is formative, and this portends inherent high-risk exposure to cyber threats. Therefore, attempted cyber-attacks are not unordinary occurrences," he said.

"The government and its agencies are alive to this reality, and the necessary precautions that are under constant review to match the dynamic nature of the threats landscape have been deployed."

The Interior PS went on to allege that the news piece was published in an attempt to prompt a negative reaction from the Kenyan government.

"The article, considering its choice of the so-called ‘cyber-security experts’ interviewed, is aimed at provoking a particular response from the Government of Kenya," he said.

China has since dismissed the claims terming the accusations as "false and groundless".

"It is a highly sensitive political issue to pin the label of cyber attack to a certain government without solid evidence," said the Chinese Embassy in a statement earlier on Thursday.

"The relevant media should adopt a professional and responsible attitude and underscore the importance to have enough evidence when conducting reports, rather than make groundless assumptions and accusations."