Hackers broke into the President's official website and demanded a Bitcoin ransom in what ICT Ministry should tell Kenya that it has a much bigger problem than a single website going offline.

Hacked official President's site, which has now been taken offline, has exposed what many have quietly feared for years. How toothless and useless the leadership at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy is.

Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo and Principal Secretary Eng. John Tanui are the hawkers selling Kenyans the dream of a digital government without proving it can protect their systems.

ICT CS Gitau Kabogo and PS Eng. John Tanui are in suits, speaking about digital transformation, online government services and turning Kenya into a technology leader. The real test is much simpler. Can the government protect its own systems?

If the country's highest-profile government website can be compromised under their watch, what confidence should Kenyans have in systems holding their personal data, tax records, health information, business registrations and national identity details?

This is no longer just an ICT issue. It is a national security issue.

Across the world, ministries responsible for technology carry enormous responsibility because they protect the digital backbone of government.

In the United States, agencies work under strict cybersecurity standards led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Every major breach attracts investigations by Congress, public briefings and independent reviews.

In the United Kingdom, cyber attacks targeting government systems trigger immediate action by the National Cyber Security Centre. Parliament demands answers. Ministers are expected to explain what happened and what is being done to stop another attack.

Germany treats cyber attacks on public systems as threats to national security. The country's Federal Office for Information Security constantly audits government systems and issues security warnings before weaknesses become disasters.

France has built one of Europe's strongest cyber defence agencies, in my opinion. Serious attacks are investigated quickly, and public institutions are expected to fix weaknesses without delay.

Japan has spent years tightening cyber security across the government after repeated attacks on public institutions. Every major incident becomes a lesson for stronger protection.

China, despite operating one of the world's most tightly controlled internet environments, pours enormous resources into protecting government digital infrastructure because it understands that digital power means nothing without digital security.

That is what serious governments do. They do not wait for embarrassing headlines before asking difficult questions.

Kenya's ICT Ministry should be leading from the front. Instead, it is increasingly attracting criticism over whether it is paying enough attention to cybersecurity while focusing heavily on digital programmes and public announcements. Digital government is built on one thing. Trust.

Who trusts Kabogo and PS John Tanui? Once citizens begin doubting whether government systems are safe, every online service becomes suspect.

People begin asking whether their personal data is safe.

Whether government databases are protected.

Whether sensitive state information can be accessed by criminals.

Whether the billions spent on digitisation are delivering secure systems or simply creating bigger targets for cyber criminals.

If reports of a ransomware attack on the President's official website are confirmed, then this cannot end with a brief statement saying investigations are under way.

Kenyans deserve a full account.

What security failed?

How long were attackers inside the system?

Was any information compromised?

Were other government systems affected?

What weaknesses have already been fixed?

Who is being held responsible?

These are not political questions.

They are questions about competence.

The Ministry of ICT has positioned itself as the engine behind Kenya's digital future. That position comes with responsibility. Every successful cyber attack against critical government infrastructure chips away at public confidence and raises doubts about whether the country is prepared for the future it keeps promising.

CS William Kabogo and PS Eng. John Tanui now have an opportunity to reassure the country with facts, transparency and accountability.

If the reports are true, they should tell Kenyans exactly what happened and what changes will follow.

Silence would only deepen public concern.

A ministry tasked with protecting Kenya's digital infrastructure cannot afford to look unprepared when the country's most visible government platform is reported to have fallen victim to a cyber attack.