Ruto’s State House website hacked, attackers demand Ksh41M ransom
By Sharon Atieno, July 18, 2026The official website of President William Ruto has been hacked, with attackers demanding five bitcoins, equivalent to about Ksh41.3 million, to restore access to the platform.
The breach, confirmed on Saturday, July 18, 2026, and acknowledged by State House, saw the ransom demand displayed on the website’s homepage, with the hackers setting a tight deadline for payment.
“We’ll be back soon! Sorry for the inconvenience, but we’re performing some maintenance at the moment. We’ll be back online shortly!” the presidency website read by the time of this publication.
Hackers issue ultimatum
The attackers threatened to release what they described as sensitive government information if the ransom was not paid.
“This message is the third time for you or we leak everything about you. Do a payment of five Bitcoin to the Bitcoin wallet if you want peace before 6 o’clock this evening,” the hackers said in a message displayed on the website.
At the current market price, one bitcoin is valued at approximately Ksh8.26 million, bringing the total ransom demand to about Ksh41.3 million.
State House said its information and communications technology team was working to resolve the incident and restore the website.
Government systems targeted
The incident comes amid growing concerns over the rising threat of cybercrime targeting Kenya’s digital infrastructure.
A report by the National Computer and Cybercrime Coordination Committee (NC4) released in June indicated that Kenya had recorded more than three billion cyberattacks targeting government systems, cloud services and critical digital infrastructure over a three-month period.
Nairobi recorded the highest number of cybercrime cases, with authorities reporting offences including unauthorised access to computer systems, computer fraud, identity theft and cyber harassment.
The report was presented to Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo, who chairs the NC4.
Cyber threats escalate
The committee has since moved to strengthen collaboration with key sectors, including banking, telecommunications, aviation and energy, to improve the country’s cyber defences and resilience against attacks.
The NC4 is also developing a Rapid Reference Guide to standardise the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime cases across the country.
The hacking of the president’s official website highlights the growing vulnerability of public digital platforms as government services and communication increasingly move online.
The incident also raises fresh concerns over the protection of sensitive government systems and the ability of cybercriminals to disrupt official platforms.
The government has yet to disclose the identity of the hackers or confirm whether any sensitive information was accessed or stolen during the breach.