The official website of the President of Kenya was hacked on Saturday morning, with attackers defacing the homepage and demanding a ransom in Bitcoin while posting messages targeting President William Ruto.
A spot check on the website, president.go.ke, showed that the official content had been replaced with a message claiming responsibility for the breach. The attackers demanded a payment of five Bitcoins—worth approximately KSh41 million at current market rates—and threatened to release unspecified information if the ransom was not paid by 6 p.m.
The message included a cryptocurrency wallet address alongside a warning directed at the Head of State. The hackers claimed it was their third communication and threatened further action if their demands were ignored. The authenticity of the claims about possessing additional information has not been independently verified.
State House confirmed it was aware of the cyberattack, stating that its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) team had begun working to restore the website and investigate the breach. No official details were immediately provided on the identity of the attackers or whether any government data had been compromised.
The incident is the latest in a series of cyberattacks targeting Kenyan government digital infrastructure, raising renewed concerns over the security of official online platforms and the need to strengthen cybersecurity measures across public institutions.
A spot check on the website, president.go.ke, showed that the official content had been replaced with a message claiming responsibility for the breach. The attackers demanded a payment of five Bitcoins—worth approximately KSh41 million at current market rates—and threatened to release unspecified information if the ransom was not paid by 6 p.m.
The message included a cryptocurrency wallet address alongside a warning directed at the Head of State. The hackers claimed it was their third communication and threatened further action if their demands were ignored. The authenticity of the claims about possessing additional information has not been independently verified.
State House confirmed it was aware of the cyberattack, stating that its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) team had begun working to restore the website and investigate the breach. No official details were immediately provided on the identity of the attackers or whether any government data had been compromised.
The incident is the latest in a series of cyberattacks targeting Kenyan government digital infrastructure, raising renewed concerns over the security of official online platforms and the need to strengthen cybersecurity measures across public institutions.
