The official State House website was allegedly hacked on Friday, with its homepage reportedly defaced and replaced by messages targeting President William Ruto.
The suspected attackers are said to be demanding a ransom in Bitcoin equivalent to approximately KSh41 million, according to information displayed on the compromised website.
Official Content Replaced
Visitors to the website, president.go.ke, reportedly found that its official content had been replaced with unauthorized messages containing derogatory remarks directed at the Head of State.
The incident raised concerns about the security of government digital infrastructure and the potential vulnerability of official online platforms to cyberattacks.
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At the time of publication, the authenticity and scope of the alleged breach had not been independently verified by government authorities.
State House had not issued an official statement regarding the reported cyberattack or the alleged ransom demand.
Authorities are also yet to confirm whether sensitive data was accessed, compromised, or extracted during the incident.
Growing Cybersecurity Concerns
The alleged attack highlights ongoing cybersecurity challenges facing government institutions and public agencies.
This is not the first time government websites in Kenya have reportedly been targeted by cybercriminals seeking to disrupt services or gain unauthorized access to official platforms.
Cybersecurity experts have consistently warned that public institutions remain attractive targets for hackers due to the sensitive information they handle and their importance to national operations.
Investigations into the incident are expected as authorities work to establish the nature of the breach and restore normal operations.
