Kenya’s official State House website was allegedly hacked after cyber attackers gained unauthorized access to the government portal, replacing its homepage with messages targeting President William Ruto and demanding a ransom of approximately KSh 41 million in Bitcoin.
Visitors to the official website, president.go.ke, found that its usual content had been replaced with demeaning messages directed at the Head of State, alongside a demand for payment in cryptocurrency.
The apparent breach has raised fresh concerns about the security of Kenya’s government digital infrastructure and the vulnerability of official online platforms to cyberattacks.
Kenyan authorities have launched investigations to determine how the attackers gained access to the website, identify those responsible, and assess whether the incident was limited to the public-facing portal or involved a wider compromise of government systems.
Officials have not disclosed whether any sensitive information was accessed or stolen during the alleged attack.
Government agencies responsible for cybersecurity are working to restore the website and strengthen its security to prevent further unauthorized access. As of now, the government has not indicated whether it will engage with the hackers or respond to the ransom demand.
Cybersecurity experts generally advise against paying ransoms, warning that doing so encourages further criminal activity and does not guarantee the recovery of compromised systems or data.
The incident is the latest in a series of cyberattacks targeting government websites and official information portals, highlighting the growing threat posed by cybercriminals against public institutions.
The alleged breach has renewed calls for stronger cybersecurity measures to protect critical government infrastructure as more public services and official communications move online.
State House had not issued an official statement on the alleged cyberattack at the time of publication, and investigations into the incident remain ongoing.