Popular political blogger and current Chief Administrative Secretary in Kenya’s Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy, Dennis Itumbi, recently announced that he has successfully recovered his Twitter account after being locked out for two weeks.
Itumbi initially blamed the hack on a cryptocurrency group, which raised suspicions as such groups are known to target high-profile accounts to market their products. However, the alleged hackers only made one post on Itumbi’s account, which simply stated “Northlands,” the name of a farm belonging to Kenya’s first and fourth presidents.
Shortly after the tweet, hooligans raided the Northlands farm, causing extensive damage and stealing livestock worth millions of shillings. The attack occurred during opposition-led demonstrations, with allegations that some politicians linked to President William Ruto’s government were using the protests as a cover to carry out political revenge.
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Itumbi’s recovery of his Twitter account is a small victory in the ongoing battle against cybercrime and political manipulation. This is not the blogger’s first brush with hacking accusations, having been implicated in hacking the International Criminal Court’s website and emails in 2012. The ICC had been investigating several high-profile Kenyans, including former president Uhuru Kenyatta and President William Ruto, for crimes against humanity following the 2007/8 post-election violence.
Itumbi’s successful recovery of his Twitter account has once again brought the issue of cybercrime and political manipulation to the forefront of public attention. With social media being an integral part of modern-day communication and politics, it is crucial to ensure that platforms are secure and free from malicious attacks.
As the fight against cybercrime continues, it is essential that governments and individuals take the necessary steps to safeguard their online presence and protect themselves from hackers and malicious actors.
