Kenya's efforts to shed its international financial crime watchlist status have gained momentum, with prosecutors taking up 71 money laundering cases in just four months as the government moves to close gaps identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The cases were registered by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) between July and October 2026, reflecting an intensified effort to pursue individuals suspected of engaging in money laundering and related financial offences.
Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga announced the figures during a breakfast meeting with heads of key law enforcement institutions, where officials examined the country's progress in meeting the requirements set out in the FATF action plan
The discussions focused on shortcomings identified under FATF's Immediate Outcomes, the corrective measures already undertaken and areas requiring further action.
The agencies also explored ways to improve cooperation and ensure that pending commitments are implemented within the required timelines.
Ingonga said the ODPP remained committed to strengthening the prosecution of financial crimes, pointing to the conviction of former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu as an example of the country's ability to successfully handle complex cases.
The prosecution service is also seeking to improve the skills of its officers to enable them to deal with increasingly complicated financial offences and criminal networks operating across borders.
To support this effort, the ODPP is preparing a specialised training programme in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
The programme will bring together Regional Heads, County Heads and Heads of Divisions, who will receive additional training in handling money laundering, transnational organised crime and other emerging offences.
Ingonga further revealed that the ODPP was working on specialised prosecutorial guidelines to provide a clearer framework for dealing with money laundering cases.
The guidelines are expected to improve the consistency of prosecutions, strengthen case handling and enhance the country's ability to tackle financial crimes.
The meeting brought together principals and representatives from the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA).
The institutions reviewed their respective responsibilities in implementing the FATF action plan, with emphasis on closer coordination between agencies involved in detecting, investigating, prosecuting and recovering assets linked to financial crimes.
Kenya is pursuing removal from the FATF grey list by addressing the deficiencies identified by the international watchdog, making cooperation among the enforcement agencies central to the country's compliance efforts.