Naivasha – The Parliamentary Committee on Finance is calling for urgent funding from the National Treasury to finalize and activate the Data Recovery Center (DRC) in Naivasha, a project crucial for safeguarding government digital data. The center, which began over a decade ago to ensure the recovery of government data, has faced delays due to funding shortages, leading to legal disputes with the contracted firm, Misort Africa.

According to Kenya News Agency, Kimani Kuria, the protracted legal battle resulted in a high court ruling that awarded Misort Africa sh. 3.68 billion, accruing an annual interest of 12 percent until full payment. Kuria expressed concern over the financial impact of the ruling, noting that the treasury has already incurred sh. 600 million annually in accrued interest, bringing the total owed to sh. 5.174 billion. This amount is likely to increase if payments are delayed further. During a committee visit to the facility, Kuria highlighted the importance of the center, which requires sh. 3.68 billion to complete and is vital for the protection of government digitized data.

The committee chair also revealed that equipment worth over sh.100 million had been stolen and vandalized after the treasury transferred the center’s management to the Ministry of Information. He emphasized the need for enhanced security to prevent further losses and urged the National Treasury to expedite payments for the project’s completion and operationalization.

The Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy reports that the government has fully digitized over 12,000 services, with another 2,872 partially onboarded on digital platforms, facilitating easy access to government services. Furthermore, the Ministry has installed 1,035 public WiFi hotspots across the 47 counties, with plans to install 25,000 by the end of 2027. This initiative is part of a broader digital transformation agenda aimed at enabling youth to access and leverage digital opportunities.

With the rise in connectivity, Kenya has witnessed a sharp increase in cyber-attacks, underscoring the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures. Data from the Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) indicates over 800 million cyber-attacks as of October this year, highlighting the critical threat of cybercrime. The completion of the DRC, initiated in 2014 and expected to be finished by the end of 2026, is thus deemed essential by the committee members for enhancing the recovery and safety of critical digitized government data.