EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGICAL SECURITY CAPABILITY ON SECURE CLOUD ADOPTION AMONG KENYAN STATE CORPORATIONS

Purpose of the Study: This study examined the effect of technological security capability on secure cloud adoption among Kenyan state corporations. Specifically, it assessed whether technological security measures, including identity and access management, encryption, security monitoring, incident response readiness, and vulnerability assessment, significantly influence the secure adoption of cloud computing within public sector institutions. Methodology: The study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional survey design guided by the Technology–Organisation–Environment (TOE) framework. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from ICT decision-makers in Kenyan state corporations. Responses from 112 participants were analyzed using SPSS Version 29 and SmartPLS 4 through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings: The findings revealed that technological security capability had a positive but statistically non-significant effect on secure cloud adoption (β = 0.303, t = 1.587, p = 0.057). State corporations reported moderate to high levels of technological security capability, with data encryption receiving the highest ratings and cyber incident response readiness the lowest. The results suggest that while technological security controls contribute to secure cloud adoption, they are insufficient on their own. Their effectiveness depends on complementary organisational capabilities, governance structures, operational competencies, and enabling digital infrastructure that collectively support secure implementation and management of cloud computing environments. Conclusion: The study concludes that technological security capability is a necessary but insufficient determinant of secure cloud adoption among Kenyan state corporations. Sustainable adoption requires integrating technical security controls with organisational readiness, governance mechanisms, skilled personnel, and supportive infrastructure to achieve secure, resilient, and effective cloud computing implementation.