Kenya has appointed Dr. Martin Koyabe as the inaugural Non-Executive Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the National Cybersecurity Agency (NCSA), marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to strengthen its cybersecurity capabilities as digital transformation accelerates.
Principal Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy John Tanui announced the appointment in a congratulatory message, noting that it comes as Kenya seeks to expand its digital economy to account for 30% of gross domestic product.
Tanui described the establishment of a dedicated National Cybersecurity Agency as a strategic milestone, particularly as government services, businesses, financial transactions and critical infrastructure become increasingly digitised.
He emphasised that a secure digital environment will be essential to supporting Kenya’s digital ambitions across areas including digital government, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data centres, digital financial services, e-commerce, business process outsourcing and global digital jobs.
Dr. Koyabe brings more than 30 years of experience spanning ICT, cybersecurity, research, policy, regulation and digital transformation. His professional experience includes cybersecurity capacity building, national cybersecurity strategy development, CERT/CSIRT capabilities and critical information infrastructure protection frameworks across several African countries.
Tanui expressed confidence that Koyabe and the new board will help establish a strong cybersecurity institution capable of protecting Kenya’s digital infrastructure while supporting the country’s ambitions to become a leading digital economy and innovation hub.
The appointment comes as cybersecurity becomes increasingly central to Kenya’s digital transformation agenda. As more public and private-sector services move online, strengthening cyber resilience, protecting critical infrastructure and maintaining trust in digital services will remain key to sustainable digital growth.
Kenya’s focus on cybersecurity is therefore expected to play an important role in creating a secure and trusted environment for continued investment in emerging technologies and digital services.
