President William Ruto has arrived in Mombasa to officially close the 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Prosecuting Agencies Conference (HOPAC).
The conference is taking place at the Whitesands Beach Hotel, Mombasa.
The President is accompanied by Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and the Director of Public Prosecution Renson Ingonga.
The conference, themed “Building Partnerships: A United Front Against Transnational Organised Crimes,” brought together leaders of prosecution agencies from 19 Commonwealth nations to strengthen cooperation and share best practices.
Among those who attended are heads of prosecution from Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Mozambique, Seychelles, and the Kingdom of Morocco.
Other international delegates also came from Australia, Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, England, Wales, Antigua and Barbuda, and Azerbaijan.
Speaking during the forum, President Ruto emphasized the need for vigilance and deeper cooperation to identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals and networks behind these crimes.
“It is through collaboration between national, regional, and international agencies that we can effectively disrupt and neutralize these threats and blunt their negative impact,” he stated.
The President told the delegates of Kenya’s own experiences with terrorism, including the 1998 United States Embassy bombing in Nairobi, the 2013 Westgate Mall attack, and the 2015 Garissa University attack.
President Ruto also highlighted the increasing cases of human trafficking and illegal entry. Between 2021 and 2024, Kenya recorded 720 cases related to human trafficking and organized crime.
Additionally, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has registered 30 money laundering cases over the past three years.
The President also called for a renewed focus on asset tracing, confiscation, and forfeiture in terrorism and human trafficking cases, stressing that denying criminal enterprises access to the proceeds of their illicit activities is vital.