NAIROBI, Kenya — The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has launched specialized training for prosecutors to strengthen the prosecution of money laundering and other complex financial crimes linked to transnational organized networks.
The first phase of the weeklong training was held in Mombasa and Naivasha. Prosecutors drawn from stations across the country participated in the programme.
According to the ODPP, the initiative forms part of a broader strategy to enhance institutional capacity in combating organized crime.
Officials say money laundering remains a key enabler of offences such as corruption, wildlife trafficking, drug trafficking, and other cross-border criminal enterprises.
The training focuses on prioritizing money laundering charges, tracing illicit financial flows, asset recovery, and strengthening collaboration with investigative agencies.
Prosecutors are also being equipped with practical tools to build stronger evidentiary chains in complex financial crime cases.
Article 157 of the Constitution mandates the Director of Public Prosecutions to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court, except a court-martial.
The office has increasingly emphasized financial crime prosecution as central to dismantling criminal syndicates.
Kenya’s anti-money laundering framework is anchored in the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (POCAMLA), which provides for identification, tracing, freezing, and confiscation of proceeds of crime.
Enforcement of the law often requires coordinated efforts between prosecutors, investigators, financial intelligence units, and international partners.
Legal analysts note that transnational organized crime has evolved, with networks exploiting digital platforms, cross-border trade systems, and informal financial channels to conceal illicit proceeds.
Strengthening prosecutorial expertise is therefore critical to securing convictions and disrupting criminal ecosystems.
The ODPP has in recent years prioritized asset recovery and financial investigations, arguing that targeting the financial backbone of criminal organizations delivers a stronger deterrent effect than isolated prosecutions of low-level actors.
Officials say subsequent phases of the training will continue across other regions to standardize prosecutorial approaches nationwide.
