Caleb Amisi Questions Sh4.7 Million Government Domain and Email Security Bill for Public Institutions

 Peoples Renaissance Movement Party leader (PM) Hon. Caleb Amisi has raised concerns over the cost of the government’s Whole-of-Government Domain and Email Security initiative, questioning how public institutions arrived at a bill of approximately Sh4.7 million each.

Amisi said the directive, issued by the Head of Public Service (HoPS) on January 13, 2025, requires Ministries, Departments, Agencies and State Corporations to implement approved domain and email protection measures, with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) designated to coordinate and oversee the initiative.

According to Amisi, subsequent reminders were issued on November 11, 2025, January 26, 2026, and July 28, 2026, with implementation currently ongoing and public institutions required to make payments to the CA.

He said his concern was not the need to strengthen cybersecurity but the cost and transparency surrounding the charges, particularly at a time when many public institutions are facing serious financial constraints.

Amisi questioned how the Sh4.7 million figure per institution was determined, noting that the targeted institutions could collectively pay about Sh1.8 billion.

> “What exactly are public institutions paying for, and how was the KES 4.7 million figure arrived at?” Amisi asked.

He argued that while government agencies need secure digital infrastructure, the cost should be supported by a clear and transparent justification, including details of the services being provided and their market value.

Amisi noted that ordinary .KE domains can be registered and maintained at significantly lower costs, although he acknowledged that government institutions may require additional enterprise-level cybersecurity services such as secure email systems, firewalls, encryption, web hosting and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) protection.

He called for disclosure of the services covered by the Sh4.7 million charge, how the costs were calculated, who determined the pricing and whether alternative providers were considered.

The legislator also raised questions about the procurement arrangements, alleging that while the Communications Authority is receiving the payments, only 15 per cent is allegedly being retained by the Authority, with the remainder transferred to a private entity.

He questioned whether the private entity was selected through a competitive procurement process and called for the arrangement to be subjected to public scrutiny.

The issue, he said, is particularly significant for public universities, many of which are experiencing financial difficulties and struggling to meet obligations such as staff salaries, supplier payments, infrastructure maintenance and provision of educational services.

Amisi questioned whether imposing such a financial burden on institutions already facing financial pressure was a priority at the moment.

He further claimed that some heads of institutions had received show-cause letters from the Head of Public Service while simultaneously receiving invoices from the Communications Authority, describing the situation as inconsistent with principles of accountable public administration.

Amisi called on the Head of Public Service, the Communications Authority, relevant government agencies and Parliament to provide a comprehensive explanation of the charges and procurement arrangements.

He emphasized that strengthening cybersecurity remains necessary, particularly amid growing cyber threats targeting government websites, domains, email systems and other digital infrastructure.

However, he said cybersecurity measures must be implemented alongside transparency, accountability and value for money, warning against using cybersecurity as a justification for unexplained or excessive expenditure.

“This is ultimately not just about domain names, websites or email addresses. It is about accountability. It is about value for money, and it is about protecting our public institutions from unnecessary financial burdens at a time when they can least afford them,” he said.