As Safaricom marks its 25th year, the celebration comes with a deeper message about Kenya’s digital journey. What began in 2000 as a simple mobile network has become the backbone of daily life from communications to payments and, increasingly, national SACCO cybersecurity.
One sector feeling this shift most sharply is the SACCO movement. Their rapid digital transformation has created opportunity but also new risks. The Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Co-operatives [KUSCCO] reports that cyber threats surged by 202% in the first quarter of 2025 alone. That figure is forcing difficult conversations across boardrooms that long relied on trust-based models rather than technical resilience.
SACCOs now run mobile banking, online lending, and digital payment platforms. These tools have modernized member services. They have also expanded the attack surface for criminals who know SACCOs hold sensitive data and billions in deposits. Many institutions still depend on outdated systems or vendors without strong SACCO cybersecurity controls.
SACCO Cyber Threats Surge 202% as Digital Shift Exposes Flaws
This gap is what pushed Coretec Solutions Africa founded in 2003 and a key technology partner to many SACCOs to rethink its role. Coretec realized that infrastructure upgrades were no longer enough; the real need was real-time protection. Its integration with Safaricom’s Managed Security Operations Centre [MSOC] marks a major shift in how mid-sized financial players defend themselves.
Coretec CEO Cyrus Yidah explains the change simply. The company used to learn of attacks too late, or sometimes not at all. Today, continuous monitoring allows both detection and response before damage is done. For SACCOs, this is not just a technical fix. It is a safeguard for members whose financial options are already limited.
For Safaricom, strengthening SACCO cybersecurity aligns with the spirit of its anniversary. This year’s Cybersecurity Summit, themed “Powering Progress, Securing Growth,” emphasized its ambition to play a larger role in protecting Kenya’s digital economy.
The rising threat landscape signals that cybersecurity can no longer be treated as optional or reactive. For SACCOs and other financial institutions, proactive defense, stronger oversight of third-party vendors, and staff training are becoming essential. As Kenya enters its next digital chapter. The institutions that invest in trust and resilience today will shape the stability of the financial ecosystem tomorrow.
