The Kenyan presidential website was the victim of a cyberattack that led to its temporary unavailability, while several local media outlets reported that the hackers had demanded a ransom of five bitcoins, or approximately €280.000. Critical messages targeting President William Ruto reportedly appeared briefly on the homepage before the official portal was shut down.
In a statement, Kenyan Information Minister William Kabogo Gitau confirmed an "incident" that necessitated the suspension of access to the website in order to carry out containment, analysis, and restoration operations. Authorities maintain, however, that there is no evidence to suggest that sensitive data has been compromised or exfiltrated.
Cybercrime is on the rise.
According to Kenyan media, the perpetrators of the attack threatened to release unspecified information if their financial demands were not met. The government has not confirmed these claims and insists that the state's main digital systems remain secure and fully operational.
This attack comes amid a surge in cybercrime in Africa. In June 2025, Interpol warned of a sharp increase in cyberattacks in West and East Africa, with thousands of attempts recorded in Kenya and South Africa. Several public infrastructures had already been targeted in recent months, including government agencies and strategic organizations, highlighting the growing cybersecurity challenges facing African states.
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