Safaricom has called for cybersecurity to be built into digital services from the outset, as AI fuels a new wave of deepfakes, impersonation and automated scams.
The telco made the call at its fourth Cybersecurity Summit in Nairobi on Wednesday, which brought together leaders from across Kenya’s digital ecosystem under the theme “Harnessing AI, Strengthening Security”.
The summit examined AI’s dual role, helping organisations detect threats while also giving attackers more sophisticated tools, including for ransomware.
Safaricom chief executive Peter Ndegwa said firms can no longer treat security as an afterthought.
“Cybersecurity can no longer be treated as a technical safeguard added after a service is developed. It must be embedded from the start and strengthened through shared standards, responsible innovation and collaboration across sectors,” Mr Ndegwa said.
“AI is expanding what is possible for businesses and society, but that opportunity must be built on trust,” he added.
The summit comes as Kenya’s exposure to cyber attacks grows.
Data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows the National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team – Coordination Centre detected 11.12 billion cyber threat events in the last financial year, up 29 per cent from 8.62 billion the previous year.
Sessions at the summit covered AI-enabled threat detection, incident response, ransomware preparedness and Kenya’s cybersecurity skills gap.
Speakers said resilience depends as much on tested processes, clear accountability and staff who can spot unusual activity and verify high-risk requests as on technology.
Safaricom is focusing on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which account for about 70 per cent of Kenya’s GDP but often lack the resources to build in-house security teams.
To serve these businesses, the telco is offering its Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), which provides secure and centrally managed connectivity across multiple business locations, alongside its Managed Security Operations Centre (MSOC).
The MSOC provides continuous threat monitoring, analysis and coordinated incident response, giving smaller firms enterprise-grade protection without building it in-house.
The push comes as enterprise services become a bigger growth area for telcos, with businesses moving operations, customer data and payments onto digital platforms.
Safaricom, which reported annual revenues of Sh400 billion as at March 2026, serves more than 71.6 million customers across Kenya and Ethiopia.
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By Nixon Kanali
Tech journalist based in Nairobi. I track and report on tech and African startups. Founder and Editor of TechTrends Media. Nixon is also the East African tech editor for Africa Business Communities. Send tips to kanali@techtrendsmedia.co.ke.