ODPP launches counter-terrorism curriculum
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Renson Ingonga, officially launched the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) Curriculum on Counter Terrorism and Countering the Financing of Terrorism, describing it as a major milestone for Kenya’s criminal justice sector.
Speaking during the launch, Ingonga said the curriculum marks a significant step in equipping prosecutors and law enforcement agencies with up-to-date knowledge and skills to effectively investigate and prosecute terrorism and related offences.
He noted that the training framework builds on Kenya’s recent prosecutorial successes, including convictions arising from the DusitD2 terror attack, where accused persons were found guilty of financing and facilitating terrorist activities.
He also cited a landmark bio-terrorism case involving a medical doctor who plotted to deploy anthrax, terming it a case that drew both local and international attention.
According to the DPP, lessons drawn from such complex cases have been integrated into the curriculum, forming part of what he termed a “Network vs. Network” prosecutorial approach aimed at dismantling both the operational and financial infrastructure of terror cells.
Ingonga said the programme will be implemented through the Prosecution Training Institute and is designed to sharpen skills in handling mutual legal assistance (MLA) requests, preservation of digital evidence, and cross-border investigations.
He acknowledged the support of key international partners, including the British High Commission, the United States Department of Justice, the Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), and the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, for their role in developing the curriculum.
A central feature of the training focuses on disrupting terrorism financing streams such as illicit trafficking in arms, drugs, persons and cultural property, environmental crimes involving natural resources, and territorial taxation imposed by extremist groups in conflict zones.
Ingonga emphasised that the curriculum is grounded in international legal instruments, including the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2195 and 2462, as well as the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, which obligates states to criminalise terrorist financing.
He further highlighted the growing threat posed by cybercrime, cryptocurrencies and virtual assets, noting that terrorist groups increasingly exploit digital platforms for radicalisation and fundraising.
However, he said advances in blockchain analytics and digital forensics now offer law enforcement agencies new tools to detect and disrupt such activities.
The DPP underscored the importance of multi-agency cooperation, intelligence-led policing, and specialised institutional frameworks to counter the crime-terror nexus, particularly within the Eastern Africa region, which faces vulnerabilities linked to porous borders and transnational organised crime.
He also pointed to the role of the Kahawa Law Courts, established in 2020 as a specialised station for counter-terrorism and transnational organised crime cases, in strengthening local jurisprudence and refining prosecutorial strategies.
Beyond legal and technical aspects, Ingonga stressed the need to prioritise victims’ rights and mental health support for prosecutors handling high-stakes terrorism cases.
He said the curriculum incorporates trauma-informed approaches to address vicarious trauma among prosecutors exposed to graphic evidence and extremist violence.