The Chinese Government on Wednesday, May 24, distanced itself from allegations of infiltrating systems and departments to find relevant information regarding Kenya's debt status.
In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in Kenya dismissed the reports as misleading. The Embassy insisted that the reports alleging that China hacked Kenyan departments lacked verifiable facts.
While debunking the reports, China indicated it was a victim of cyber attacks, and its laws do not allow individuals to infiltrate private information and accounts.
"The said false report is groundless, far-fetched and sheer nonsense. Hacking is a common threat to all countries and China is also a victim of cyber attack," China stated.
"China consistently and firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms. Tracing the source of cyber attacks is a complex technical issue. Moreover, it is a highly sensitive political issue to pin the label of cyber attack to a certain government without solid evidence," the embassy added.
The Asian economic giant lamented that the reports aimed to ruin the good diplomatic relations between Nairobi and Beijing. China, a member of the G20 nations, decried that sustained attacks and allegations threatened to disrupt the 60-year-old partnership that benefited them.
Despite funding various projects in the country, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), Thika Super Highway and Nairobi Expressway, China insisted that it was keen to deepen corporation with President William Ruto's administration.
"Whether the cooperation between China and Kenya is good or not, the people of the two countries have the most say. Any attempt to sow discord between China and Kenya is doomed to failure and will only disgrace oneself," the Embassy maintained.
What the Report Said
A report published by a global media publication, Reuters, accused Chinese hackers of targeting the government over ballooning debt.
According to Reuters, the hackers targeted ministries and state departments. It alleged that the hackers monitored the systems for years contravening Privacy and Data rules.
“The hackers aimed at least in part, at gaining information on debt owed to Beijing by the East African nation,” the report stated in part.
China's Response on Setting Debt Trap
The accusations came after China denied reports of setting traps for Kenya through debts. In a statement dated Monday, April 10, China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin, insisted that the Asian nation was Kenya's development partner.
Wang hailed the partnership between Kenya and China, indicating that it helped reduce the poverty index and promote infrastructural development.
"China is not the source of debt trap for African countries, but a partner lifting them out of a poverty trap," Wang stated.
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) data showed that the country's debt stood at Ksh9.145 trillion in December 2022. Further, data from the National Treasury released on May 20, 2023, indicated that China's debt to Kenya totalled Ksh793 billion.
However, President William Ruto resolved to adopt Public-Private Partnerships to implement various projects in the country.
