Kenya has launched a new specialised border crime unit following a partnership with the United Kingdom, in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s fight against human trafficking, human smuggling and other cross-border crimes.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) unveiled the Counter-Organised Immigration Crime Team (COICT)on Friday after 29 officers completed specialised training under the Kenya-UK Border Security Programme.
The officers, drawn from different units within the National Police Service, have already been deployed to frontline border stations where they will investigate organised immigration crime and support efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating across Kenya’s borders.
The team will operate under the DCI’s Serious Crime Unit.
Criminal Investigations Director Mohamed Amin flagged off the officers at the Border Police Training Campus in Kanyonyoo, Kitui County, on behalf of the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja.
As per the National Police Service, the officers received intense training under the Kenya-UK Border Security Programme, which was established following a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year.
The initiative aims to improve collaboration between the two nations in combating organised immigration crime and securing the borders of Kenya.
Commenting on the launch of the initiative, the British High Commission official Ben Fisher referred to the new unit as the first special capability of this sort in East Africa.
Speaking during the launch, British High Commission representative Ben Fisher described the new unit as the first specialised capability of its kind in East Africa, saying it marks an important step in the region’s efforts to combat organised immigration crime.
This development comes amid reports of rising cases of human trafficking in Kenya, carried out by criminal gangs taking advantage of the strategic location of Kenya as a regional transport hub.
Towns along the borders such as Moyale and Mandera have repeatedly emerged as transit areas used by human traffickers to transport migrants, mostly originating from Ethiopia and Eritrea, to destinations in southern Africa and the Middle East. Similarly, Western border towns including Busia and Malaba have been mentioned in investigations related to child trafficking and slave labour.
In one such instance, Kenyan police arrested 14 minor Ugandan girls, who were reportedly being trafficked in the country.
The specialized unit is also expected to boost surveillance and investigations on Kenya’s border with Somalia, which is characterized by continued security threats posed by militants from the Al-Shabaab terrorist group and other transnational criminal organizations.
Security officials are optimistic about the positive impact of the unit on information sharing, investigations and collaboration with foreign partners in an attempt by Kenya to secure its borders and tackle organized crime.
