The Kenyan hacking groups have been suspected of masterminding malware for several high-stakes hacks in recent years, including the 2017 KRA hacking which resulted to Ksh4B.
During the election period, a top politician went under investigations following the arrest of a dangerous group accused of attempting to hack the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) systems severally.
The hackers were capable of coding the systems that is reportedly capable of deleting, multiplying, adding data and manipulating voter register details.
The opposition chief Raila Odinga had alleged that IEBC transmission systems had been hacked and results tampered with raising concerns.
In a press conference in Nairobi, Raila said the hackers used the log-on credentials of the late Chris Msando, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s ICT manager.
The attacks by Kenyan hackers on banks and government organisation bore striking similarities perpetrated by North Korean state-sponsored cyber unit Lazarus Group . This included similar computer source code and fake job recruitment campaigns.
It is believed politicians have been using Kenyan hackers to infiltrate systems and manipulate data.
Detectives divulged that the high-ranking politician, who remains unidentified due to the ongoing probe, had been spotted with some of the gang members on different occasions.
The syndicate which operates internationally is believed to have tried to hack the IEBC system four times in 2017.
Police arrested members of the gang including a former police officer identified as Calvin Otieno Ogalo, believed to be the mastermind of the dubious operations.
Ogalo, who allegedly hacked the electoral body’s system in the 2013 General Election, is suspected to have been in constant communication with the politician.
The 35-year-old was also on the radar of the Banking Fraud Investigation Unit (BFIU), which suspects that he was involved in the theft of Sh50 million from the Kenya Police Sacco.
Later state House Official Dennis Itumbi posted photos on social media in which Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho was with one of the suspected hackers alleged to have been used in the hacking.
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