By Kelly Were
Kenya’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga, today officially opened a high-level Regional Forum in Nairobi aimed at strengthening anti-human trafficking efforts across the Horn of Africa.
The three-day forum brings together representatives from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, with a focus on implementing regionally endorsed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) designed to combat trafficking in persons through a unified, victim-centered approach.
In his keynote address, DPP Ingonga described the forum as a critical platform for fostering cross-border cooperation and harmonizing investigative and prosecutorial strategies. “Human trafficking and migrant smuggling are among the most pressing transnational organized crimes in our region. Combating them effectively demands a coordinated, intelligence-led response rooted in human rights and victim protection,” he said.
The SOPs under discussion promote gender-sensitive, child-focused, and trauma-informed approaches, while emphasizing the integration of financial investigations, intelligence sharing, and judicial cooperation between member states.
Ingonga called for stronger collaboration among law enforcement, immigration, judiciary, financial intelligence units, and labour departments. “This forum reinforces our collective commitment to dismantling trafficking networks while ensuring justice and safety for victims,” he added.
The initiative is supported by the Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme and CIVIPOL, a French technical agency affiliated with the Ministry of Interior.
Johanna Bögel, BMM’s Regional Coordinator for Kenya and Somalia, reaffirmed the programme’s commitment to enhancing bilateral and multilateral collaboration. “This workshop exemplifies our goal—to create seamless cooperation across borders to tackle trafficking in persons and strengthen victim support systems,” she noted.
Marco Bufo, Regional Coordinator at CIVIPOL, emphasized the importance of capacity building and regional alignment. “This forum aligns with CIVIPOL’s mission to support international efforts through technical expertise and policy coherence,” he stated.
Also present was Uganda’s Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, James Owere Odumbi, who echoed the need for regional solidarity. “Trafficking in persons is not just a national concern—it’s a regional crisis that demands a united front. This forum is a milestone toward a joint, practical solution.”
The forum is expected to produce actionable resolutions, including frameworks for continuous inter-agency engagement, technological integration, and stronger victim protection protocols across the Horn of Africa.
