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The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has regained control of its social media accounts after a brief cyber-attack on its X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook platforms on Sunday.
In a statement, the agency confirmed that cybercriminals had gained temporary access to its accounts and used them to post misleading information.
The DCI, however, swiftly regained control and assured the public that the information shared during the breach was false and unauthorised.
"For some moment this evening, we experienced a cyber-attack on the DCI digital platforms (X and Facebook), but have since regained full control," the statement read.
The investigative agency also announced that a criminal probe had been launched to identify and apprehend those responsible for the cyber-attack.
"A scrupulous interrogation into the criminal activity has been activated to bring to book the perpetrators," the DCI added.
The incident highlights growing cybersecurity threats facing government institutions in Kenya, with hackers increasingly targeting official communication channels to spread misinformation.
Authorities have not yet disclosed details regarding how the breach occurred or whether any suspects have been identified.
Recent Hacking Incidents
In a series of alarming cybersecurity breaches, two prominent Kenyan media outlets, the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) and K24 TV, have fallen victim to hacking incidents on their X accounts.
These events highlight a growing trend of high-profile social media account hijackings
KBC Account Hacked
On January 31, 2025, hackers compromised the KBC X account, which boasts over 800,000 followers.
The attackers changed the handle from 'KCBChannel1' to 'DeepSeek AI', reportedly using it for cryptocurrency scams.
DeepSeek AI is often compared to OpenAI's ChatGTP and has gained significant attention recently.
Following the breach, KBC issued an official statement confirming the hack and assuring efforts to restore access.
K24 TV Account Compromised
Just days after the KBC incident, hackers targeted K24 TV's official X account.
Instead of pursuing financial scams like in the case of KBC, these hackers transformed it into a Beyoncé fan page.
This unusual approach may indicate varying motives among hackers or an attempt to disguise malicious intent behind seemingly innocuous content.
These incidents underscore concerns raised by cybersecurity experts about sophisticated scams involving verified accounts being hijacked for credibility and trust-building purposes.