President William Ruto has appointed Dr Martin Koyabe as the Non-Executive Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Kenya’s National Cybersecurity Agency (NCSA). The appointment, published in a Kenya Gazette notice dated August 21, 2026, takes effect immediately and runs for a three-year term.
The decision was made under Section 7(a) of the State Corporations (National Cybersecurity Agency) Order, 2026. The Ministry of Interior and National Administration confirmed that the appointment is intended to operationalise the new agency, which serves as Kenya’s technical body responsible for coordinating national cybersecurity and safeguarding critical information infrastructure from cyber threats.
Dr Koyabe is a Kenyan cybersecurity specialist based in the United Kingdom. He currently serves as Senior Manager and Technical Lead at the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) in The Hague, Netherlands, where he has led cyber-capacity-building programmes across Africa. He is also the founder of MWK Consult, a London-based technology start-up, and holds several patents in cybersecurity and telecommunications-related technologies.
He recently led the AU-GFCE Collaboration Project, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which mapped cyber-capacity initiatives, identified gaps and strengthened knowledge-sharing systems across all 55 African Union member states. Following the appointment, Koyabe expressed appreciation to President Ruto, noting that the decision also recognised the contribution of Kenyans in the diaspora to national development.
The National Cybersecurity Agency was established through Legal Notice No. 89 of 2026 under the State Corporations Act. It operates as an autonomous regulatory and technical body under the Cabinet Secretary responsible for internal security. Its core functions include formulating and overseeing national cybersecurity strategies, managing the National Cybersecurity Operations Centre, auditing and certifying critical information infrastructure, conducting vulnerability assessments, issuing technical advisories and coordinating responses to cyber incidents.
The agency’s board is structured as a multi-agency body. In addition to the presidentially appointed non-executive chairperson, it includes representatives from the Principal Secretaries for internal security, the National Treasury and ICT, the Attorney-General, the Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Service and the Director of Public Prosecutions, alongside private-sector and academic input.
Kenya has intensified efforts to strengthen its cyber defences amid rising digital threats targeting government systems, financial institutions and critical infrastructure. Parliament approved the agency’s establishment earlier in 2026, and the government had sought funding to support its operationalisation, including the creation of a cybersecurity operations centre and capacity-building programmes.
Koyabe’s appointment provides the board leadership required to move the NCSA from legal establishment into active coordination of national cybersecurity efforts. The agency is expected to play a central role in protecting Kenya’s expanding digital economy and enhancing resilience against evolving cyber risks.
