DPP Strengthens Kenya–U.S. Justice Collaboration

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga, CBS, OGW, today held a strategic meeting with Ms. Susan Burns, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United States of America in Nairobi, as part of his continued efforts to enhance inter-agency collaboration and deepen international partnerships within the justice sector.

The meeting focused on strengthening the existing cooperation between the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) through the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT).

The partnership between the ODPP and USDOJ/OPDAT remains one of the most enduring and impactful justice-sector collaborations between the Government of Kenya and the United States. It embodies a shared commitment to advancing the rule of law, promoting prosecutorial independence, and tackling complex and emerging forms of crime through technical assistance, institutional capacity building, and mutual cooperation. Over the years, this collaboration has significantly enhanced the professional competence and operational capacity of prosecutors and investigators across Kenya.

The DPP expressed appreciation for the longstanding partnership and reaffirmed the ODPP’s commitment to advancing technology-driven prosecution and people-centered justice delivery in line with Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the ODPP Strategic Plan. He emphasised the importance of continuous capacity building through the Prosecution Training Institute (PTI) and the expansion of specialised training programmes to equip prosecutors and investigators to effectively respond to evolving global crime trends.

Discussions also explored potential new areas of cooperation, including digital transformation and cybercrime prosecution, policy development on deferred prosecution agreements and asset recovery, regional training and coordination, and research and data-driven prosecution. The establishment of a Prosecution Research and Policy Unit and the development of digital dashboards to monitor training impact and case performance were also proposed as part of future collaboration initiatives.

Ms. Burns commended the ODPP for its leadership in strengthening prosecutorial systems and fostering inter-agency cooperation within Kenya’s criminal justice framework. She reaffirmed the United States Government’s commitment to supporting Kenya in upholding the rule of law, advancing prosecutorial excellence, and ensuring accountability in the prosecution of complex and transnational crimes.

Among the notable achievements of the ODPP–USDOJ partnership is the joint development of the ODPP Inter-Agency Guidelines on Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Financing of Terrorism (2024), which provide a harmonised operational framework for coordination among the ODPP, security agencies, and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). ODPP–USDOJ have also conducted regular joint trainings and simulation exercises to strengthen evidence-led prosecution of terrorism and terrorism-financing cases.

The USDOJ has provided crucial legal and technical support in several high-profile Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) and extradition matters, including the Akasha Brothers, Victor Bwire, Abdulrahman Imraan Juma, Franklin Okwanna and Raphael Umeti, Kevin Kang’ethe, and Bile Jean Philippe cases. These efforts have deepened international judicial collaboration and promoted accountability in transnational criminal justice processes.

Through OPDAT, the USDOJ has further supported the continuous professional development of Kenyan prosecutors in key areas such as anti-money laundering, counterterrorism, asset recovery, cybercrime, and drug trafficking. The Prosecution Training Institute (PTI) has particularly benefitted from this partnership through the provision of ICT infrastructure, development of specialised curricula, and access to training materials that have strengthened prosecutorial education both in Kenya and the region.

Additionally, the Joint Terrorism Task Force–Kenya (JTTF–K), established in 2019 with the support of the USDOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), continues to serve as a model of multi-agency coordination in detecting, disrupting, and prosecuting terrorism and financial crimes. The partnership has also extended to providing specialised technical and legal assistance in complex cases such as the Shakahola (Paul Mackenzie) investigation and the emerging Kwa Binzaro massacre case.

The two institutions reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation and reviewed progress in ongoing joint initiatives across key thematic areas, including counterterrorism, cybercrime, anti-money laundering, human trafficking, and justice sector reform. They also discussed strategies to address emerging challenges such as cryptocurrency-related offences, artificial intelligence in digital forensics, and cross-border evidence sharing within the region.