Chinese embassy responds to allegations of hacking Kenyan government systems

Chinese embassy in Kenya.

The Chinese government has responded to a report accusing it of digitally intruding on Kenyan government systems for years.

The response came hours after Reuters published a story based on a research report by a 'defence contractor for private clients' in July 2021.

In response, the spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Kenya has downplayed the allegations of infiltrating into Kenyan Government systems terming the report as 'false, groundless, far-fetched and sheer nonsense'.

"Hacking is a common threat to all countries and China is also a victim of cyber-attack. China consistently and firmly opposes and combats cyber-attacks and cyber theft. Tracing the source of cyber-attacks is a complex technical issue. Moreover, it is a highly sensitive political issue to pin the label of cyber-attack on a certain government without solid evidence,"

"The relevant media should adopt a professional and responsible attitude and underscore the importance to have enough evidence when conducting reports, rather than make groundless assumptions and accusations," a statement by the Chinese embassy states.

The Chinese embassy has also pledged to strengthen its diplomatic relations with Kenya to benefit both parties.

"Whether the cooperation between China and Kenya is good or not, the people of the two countries have the most say. Any attempt to sow discord between China and Kenya is doomed to failure and will only disgrace oneself," the Chinese embassy states.

On Wednesday morning, Reuters published an exclusive story 'Chinese hackers attacked Kenyan government as debt strains grew'.

According to the article by Reuters, Chinese hackers targeted Kenya's government in a series of digital intrusions against key ministries and state institutions.

The hacking, according to Reuters, happened in the period between 2019 and 2022.

It is reported that the story had three sources; two of which say the hacks were aimed, at least in part, at gaining information on debt owed to Beijing by the East African nation.

"Kenya is a strategic link in the Belt and Road Initiative - President Xi Jinping's plan for a global infrastructure network. cybersecurity research reports and Reuters' own analysis of technical data related to the hackings," Reuters reports.

China's influence in Africa has proliferated over the past two decades. But, like several African nations, Kenya's finances are being strained by the growing cost of servicing external debt - much of it owed to China, according to a Reuters report.

Some information in this article came from Reuters