Prof Halimu Shauri joins trainers and participants for a group photo during the Coast Region Cybersecurity Workshop at Silver Palm Spa & Resort, Kilifi County.

The participants appreciated the quality and relevance of the training, highlighting the valuable knowledge, practical skills, and industry-based experience they gained over the five days.

- Kelvin Mulwa, an ICT Officer at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Mombasa Campus, described the workshop as an enriching and impactful experience that went beyond technical training.

“The workshop has not only enhanced my technical skills but also given me an opportunity to interact and network with colleagues from other institutions. We have been able to share our wins, discuss the challenges we face in our respective institutions, and support one another in finding practical solutions,” he said.

Mulwa added that the training had enhanced his ability to identify gaps in campus network systems and implement stronger security measures. He noted that he had also acquired practical skills in configuring TACACS on routers and switches for centralized access control, as well as using VLANs to optimize network performance and improve network segmentation within the institutional ICT infrastructure.

- On her part, Vasta Mwatela, a Network Administrator at the Technical University of Mombasa, said she had gained valuable insights into modern network monitoring and management, as well as updated network security tools that she intends to implement upon returning to her institution.

She termed the training an enlightening experience, noting that the virtual labs and practical sessions made it easier to translate the knowledge gained into practical application within institutional ICT environments.

- Abdushakur Arina, Senior Systems Administrator at Pwani University, noted that one of the key takeaways from the training was learning how to secure institutional email systems and ensure their authenticity so that users can be confident that messages received in their inboxes originate from certified and trusted domains.

Representing the Vice Chancellor of Pwani University, Prof. James H.P. Kahindi, was Prof. Halimu Shauri, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Research and Extension, who officiated the closing ceremony and handed over certificates to the participants.

Guest Speaker Prof. Halimu Shauri, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension, Pwani University hands over a certificate to Stephen Odhiambo, an ICT Technician from Shanzu Teachers Training College

The Kilifi workshop followed earlier sessions held in Nairobi, Western, and Central & Eastern regions, with the Nyanza capacity-building workshop scheduled to conclude the five regional in-person training series in May under the program titled “Strengthening Kenya’s Cybersecurity Posture: Inclusive Capacity Building across Five Regions”, funded by ICANN.

The program is aimed at strengthening institutional cybersecurity resilience across the KENET community, building practical, hands-on technical capacity, and reducing vulnerabilities within academic and research networks, ultimately transforming Kenya’s academic and research cybersecurity posture.