Kenya experienced a sharp increase in SIM swap fraud in 2025, with losses estimated at Sh490 million, according to a recent Interpol report. The crime involved over 123,000 fraudulent SIM cards used to access victims' mobile money wallets and bank accounts.

Key Findings from Interpol's African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026

  • SIM swap fraud cases surged by 327% in Kenya during 2025.
  • More than 46,000 Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks targeted Kenyan telecoms in the first half of the year.
  • Hundreds of millions of intrusion attempts were recorded against government and ICT infrastructure between July and September 2025.
  • Kenya ranked among the top African countries with the highest exploitable cyber vulnerabilities, accounting for nearly 12% of the continent's identified weaknesses.
  • Cybercriminals increasingly use artificial intelligence to create synthetic identities, complicating fraud detection.

The report highlights Kenya's status as a hotspot for cybercrime driven by widespread mobile money usage, rapid digitalisation, and gaps in cybersecurity systems. Platforms like M-Pesa, used by over 30 million Kenyans, have become prime targets for fraudsters.

In addition to financial fraud, digital sextortion cases surged, with Kenya responsible for 13% of the continent's detections. These campaigns often use malware to threaten victims with the release of intimate content unless ransom payments are made.

Challenges and Responses

Interpol points to poor coordination between banks, telecommunications firms, and law enforcement as a major obstacle in preventing fraudulent transactions. The lack of real-time data sharing creates blind spots exploited by criminals.

Despite these challenges, Kenya has made progress in strengthening cyber resilience. It is among four African nations mandating cyber incident reporting within 72 hours and is updating its legal framework through the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes (Amendment) Bill 2024, which targets SIM swap fraud and scam calls.

Kenya also plays a leading role in regional cybersecurity cooperation. Nairobi hosted the Third African Forum on Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence in 2025, convening experts from 31 countries to enhance digital forensics and cross-border investigations.

The Interpol report underscores the urgent need for improved cyber hygiene, investment in security infrastructure, and enhanced inter-agency collaboration to protect Kenya's growing digital economy from evolving cyber threats.