Evening: AI cybercrime surge, mobile money fraud and Kenya's AI policy advances

William Kabogo, Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, has unveiled Kabogo.AI, an artificial intelligence-powered digital assistant designed to give citizens easier access to verified information regarding government ICT programs, digital services, and state agencies. Hosted on the official Kabogo website, the platform introduces an AI assistant currently under development to help citizens navigate ICT services, official public resources, and state programs seamlessly. Once fully operational, users can submit direct questions and receive real-time guidance routing them to the correct government department, service portal, or official documentation. System engineers confirm the platform is undergoing preparation and testing, with the full public launch scheduled once public information databases, routing networks, and review safeguards are fully integrated. The launch aligns directly with Kenya's broader 2026 AI Policy, which calls for expanded deployment of artificial intelligence across public administration, healthcare, education, agriculture, and financial services. Source: NairobiWire, kabogo.com.

Plans for a major Microsoft-G42 data centre in Olkaria, near Lake Naivasha, announced in 2024 as part of a $1bn digital investment package for Kenya, have stalled in May 2026 over concerns about available power capacity. Microsoft and UAE-based AI company G42 said the proposed data centre campus would run entirely on renewable geothermal energy and incorporate water conservation technology. However, Lake Naivasha patrol leader Grace Kimani told Al Jazeera the reservoir is under growing pressure from population growth, agriculture, water abstraction, climate variability, pollution and ecosystem degradation. Kimani warned that the data centre could bring jobs and investment but its water demand raises concerns about adding pressure to already competing needs, particularly during dry periods. The article notes that in 2010 the lake nearly dried up due to over-abstraction, and this could be repeated. KenGen operates the Olkaria geothermal complex, and while Microsoft and G42 said the facility would run on geothermal energy, limited public information exists about the project's expected water demand, source and cooling technology. A letter of intent was signed in 2024 by G42, Microsoft and EcoCloud, with EcoCloud described as a local partner. Source: Al Jazeera.

INTERPOL's African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, released in August 2026, warns that artificial intelligence is now involved in 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across Africa. The report identifies Kenya as among East Africa's most exposed nations due to widespread mobile money adoption and digital public services. Kenya recorded more than 46,786 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in the first half of 2025, with telecom operators among the main targets. The most alarming trend is the explosion of SIM-swap and mobile wallet fraud: SIM-swap fraud investigations in Kenya surged by 327 per cent in 2025, with more than 123,000 fraudulent SIM cards detected. Criminals using these compromised SIM cards drained an estimated USD 3.8 million from mobile wallets. The report warns that cybercrime has evolved from isolated incidents into an industrialised, borderless ecosystem, posing a growing and systemic threat to economic security, public confidence, and institutional resilience. Kenya, still on the FATF's grey list since February 2024, requires certain cyber incidents to be reported within 72 hours alongside Nigeria, South Africa and Mauritius. The Kenya Computer Incident Response Team–Coordination Centre reported 2.3 billion cyber events during the review period, a 30 per cent decline from the previous quarter, attributed to continued collaboration and institutional action on cybersecurity advisories. Source: People Daily, The Star, INTERPOL report.