Huawei inks major partnership to boost cyber-security skills in Kenya
Sponsored by Huawei
Mr Steven Zhang, Deputy CEO, Huawei Kenya, speaking during the Annual October Cyber-Security Awareness Month (OCSAM) Conference 2023 held at Mercure Hotel in Upper Hill, Nairobi.
By Hilary Kimuyu
Tech firm Huawei has inked a deal with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to scale up cyber-security skills in the country. Acting Director-General of CA, Christopher Wambua, said cyber-security was critical because economies were increasingly hinging on the digital space.
He said the government was working with institutions of higher learning and other stakeholders in the ICT space to train youths to become the next generation of cyber-security experts.
Speaking at a cyber-security workshop in Nairobi on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication, and the Digital Economy, Mr Eliud Owalo, Wambua added that with the country’s increased participation in the global digital economy, it was necessary to intensify readiness for cyber-attacks. “Our preparedness must encompass the practical realities in this space, and cyber-security is one of the areas we cannot afford to ignore,” he said.
He pointed out that the government had stepped up collaboration with the private sector in spearheading activities for enhancing the country’s readiness to confront emerging cyber-security challenges.
“The operationalisation of the National Public Key Infrastructure (NPKI) and licensing of electronic certification providers has set the country on a path of a secure digital space, and we need to consolidate our gains in this space and foster greater collaboration to achieve our goals,” stated Wambua as he read the CS’ speech.
Huawei Vice-President for East African Government Affairs Victor Guo, said that 6,000 students had signed up for the 2023 online boot camp and hackathon organised by CA, Huawei, and the Kenya Cyber-Security Forensics Association.
Guo said that the huge number was an indication that the youth were eager to learn more in the cyber security space.
“I believe that today’s conference discussions about the skills needed in the cyber-security space will enable us to identify the gaps and work together with the Kenyan government in efforts to address these gaps,” said Guo. He said that they had a long-standing partnership with CA, with a technical cooperation agreement in place.
The telecom industry regulator and Huawei had earlier jointly set up a special cyber security boot camp for students from higher learning institutions across the country.
“The partnership targeted to build capacity amongst technology students to ensure secure networks and cyberspace,” Mr Wambua said.
He said cyber-security remained the bedrock of a secure digital economy, and it was crucial to ensure that platforms and networks enabling access to e-government services and e-commerce, as well as those connecting workers with employers, were protected from cyber threats.
Official statistics show that Kenya has just under 2,000 certified cyber-security professionals against an annual demand of 10,000 experts.
