News & Updates
Regional Study Tour in Kenya Explores Cyber Domain and Smart Technologies
October 07, 2026
The Malawi Defence Force Command and Staff College (MDF CSC) has commenced a
seven-day regional study tour in Kenya for participants of Senior Command and Staff
Course No. 5, Academic Year 2026. The tour is being conducted under the theme,
“Approaches to Leveraging Cyber Domain and Smart Technologies in Building
Resilience for National Critical Infrastructure.”
The course has been divided into two study groups, with Team Kenya conducting its tour
in Kenya and Team Rwanda undertaking similar study activities in Rwanda. The groups
are visiting policy and regulatory institutions, government agencies and private sector
service providers involved in cyber security and digital technologies. The engagements
are examining how these institutions coordinate, including through public–private
partnerships, to strengthen national resilience against emerging cyber threats.
The tour also supports the strategic focus of the course. Participants are trained in
national and sectoral strategy analysis and development, and the engagements provide
practical exposure to how security strategies are formulated and implemented in the
increasingly important information environment. The tour further seeks to understand
how legal, policy and institutional frameworks are interconnected to support national
cyber security and critical infrastructure resilience.
The regional tour builds on a local study tour conducted in Malawi, enabling participants
to benchmark national approaches against regional practices and identify lessons
applicable to Malawi. Kenya and Rwanda were selected because of their significant ICT
development and growing cyber security capabilities, providing useful regional case
studies. Team Kenya is led by the MDFCSC Commandant, Major General Vincent Moyo,
while Team Rwanda is led by the Deputy Commandant, Colonel Joseph Mambo.
Team Kenya began with a courtesy call at the Malawi High Commission in Nairobi.
Deputy High Commissioner, His Excellency Gerald Viola, briefed the delegation on the
mission’s diplomatic and consular responsibilities. He also highlighted the High
Commission’s role in strengthening bilateral cooperation between Malawi and Kenya,
including collaboration and exchange of expertise in trade, tourism and information and
communication technologies, including cyber security and digital innovation.
The delegation subsequently visited Kenya Defence Forces Headquarters, where it
received a briefing on the KDF Cyber Command and its contribution to extending
defence capabilities into the cyber domain in support of the Services. The delegation later
visited the Joint Command and Staff College (JCSC) in Karen. The College Commandant,
Major General Eric Kinuthia, briefed participants on the institution’s history, future plans
and alignment with Kenya’s digitalisation agenda. The visit further strengthened
professional links between JCSC and MDFCSC. JCSC has trained more than 40
Malawian senior officers, including former MDF Commanders General IEJ Maulana,
General AP Namathanga and General PV Phiri.
On Tuesday, the delegation visited the Communications Authority of Kenya in Westlands,
Nairobi. Participants were briefed on its regulatory role and efforts to strengthen critical
infrastructure against cyber threats, including through the Kenya Computer Incident
Response Team Coordination Centre (KE-CIRT/CC). The centre supports continuous
cyber monitoring, incident response, coordination and dissemination of alerts and
mitigation measures. The engagement also highlighted cooperation between Kenyan and
Malawian cyber institutions, including the Communications Authority of Kenya, KE
CIRT/CC, MACRA and MW-CERT, particularly in information sharing and addressing
common cyber threats.
Across the institutions visited, Smart technologies were highlighted as workforce
multipliers and important tools for monitoring, surveillance, early warning and incident
response.Team Kenya Research Leader, Major David Chimbayo, said the tour was
meeting its objectives and providing practical insights relevant to strengthening Malawi’s
cyber security and critical infrastructure resilience.
By Majors Sylvia Makhambera and Patrick Simkonda
seven-day regional study tour in Kenya for participants of Senior Command and Staff
Course No. 5, Academic Year 2026. The tour is being conducted under the theme,
“Approaches to Leveraging Cyber Domain and Smart Technologies in Building
Resilience for National Critical Infrastructure.”
The course has been divided into two study groups, with Team Kenya conducting its tour
in Kenya and Team Rwanda undertaking similar study activities in Rwanda. The groups
are visiting policy and regulatory institutions, government agencies and private sector
service providers involved in cyber security and digital technologies. The engagements
are examining how these institutions coordinate, including through public–private
partnerships, to strengthen national resilience against emerging cyber threats.
The tour also supports the strategic focus of the course. Participants are trained in
national and sectoral strategy analysis and development, and the engagements provide
practical exposure to how security strategies are formulated and implemented in the
increasingly important information environment. The tour further seeks to understand
how legal, policy and institutional frameworks are interconnected to support national
cyber security and critical infrastructure resilience.
The regional tour builds on a local study tour conducted in Malawi, enabling participants
to benchmark national approaches against regional practices and identify lessons
applicable to Malawi. Kenya and Rwanda were selected because of their significant ICT
development and growing cyber security capabilities, providing useful regional case
studies. Team Kenya is led by the MDFCSC Commandant, Major General Vincent Moyo,
while Team Rwanda is led by the Deputy Commandant, Colonel Joseph Mambo.
Team Kenya began with a courtesy call at the Malawi High Commission in Nairobi.
Deputy High Commissioner, His Excellency Gerald Viola, briefed the delegation on the
mission’s diplomatic and consular responsibilities. He also highlighted the High
Commission’s role in strengthening bilateral cooperation between Malawi and Kenya,
including collaboration and exchange of expertise in trade, tourism and information and
communication technologies, including cyber security and digital innovation.
The delegation subsequently visited Kenya Defence Forces Headquarters, where it
received a briefing on the KDF Cyber Command and its contribution to extending
defence capabilities into the cyber domain in support of the Services. The delegation later
visited the Joint Command and Staff College (JCSC) in Karen. The College Commandant,
Major General Eric Kinuthia, briefed participants on the institution’s history, future plans
and alignment with Kenya’s digitalisation agenda. The visit further strengthened
professional links between JCSC and MDFCSC. JCSC has trained more than 40
Malawian senior officers, including former MDF Commanders General IEJ Maulana,
General AP Namathanga and General PV Phiri.
On Tuesday, the delegation visited the Communications Authority of Kenya in Westlands,
Nairobi. Participants were briefed on its regulatory role and efforts to strengthen critical
infrastructure against cyber threats, including through the Kenya Computer Incident
Response Team Coordination Centre (KE-CIRT/CC). The centre supports continuous
cyber monitoring, incident response, coordination and dissemination of alerts and
mitigation measures. The engagement also highlighted cooperation between Kenyan and
Malawian cyber institutions, including the Communications Authority of Kenya, KE
CIRT/CC, MACRA and MW-CERT, particularly in information sharing and addressing
common cyber threats.
Across the institutions visited, Smart technologies were highlighted as workforce
multipliers and important tools for monitoring, surveillance, early warning and incident
response.Team Kenya Research Leader, Major David Chimbayo, said the tour was
meeting its objectives and providing practical insights relevant to strengthening Malawi’s
cyber security and critical infrastructure resilience.
By Majors Sylvia Makhambera and Patrick Simkonda
