This archive report was first published on 11 July 2019.
On July 10, 2019, the Institute of Risk Management in East Africa (IRM EA) and Serianu, a pan-African cyber security consulting firm, announced a strategic partnership to address the growing need for risk management professionals in Kenya and the East African region.
According to Dorothy Maseke, Chairperson of IRM EA, the partnership aims to empower risk management professionals with homegrown cyber risk tools tailored to the African environment. This is a departure from relying on tools developed for European, American, and Asian organizations.
IRM EA and Serianu will collaborate to research and develop locally nuanced templates and tools to help mine necessary data and develop cyber risk quantification reports. The partnership will also cover training, community outreach, and policy design across the African continent.
Carol Misiko, IRM EA Secretary, emphasized the importance of understanding cyber risk, which is primarily handled by IT teams. William Makatiani, Serianu Chief Executive Officer, noted that the partnership aims to provide directors and managers with tools and methods to grasp emerging events and issues that may affect their organizations.
Kenya's risk management gap is significant, with the country needing at least 1,000 qualified risk management professionals annually. However, the current population is only around 120. The partnership between IRM EA and Serianu aims to address this gap and provide locally relevant risk management training.
