ODPP strengthens war on human trafficking through HTI agreement
The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) signed an agreement with the Human Trafficking Institute (HTI) on Monday, May 12, 2025, to strengthen the fight against human trafficking in Kenya.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga, and HTI Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Victor Boutros in Nairobi.
Among the key goals of the MoU are enhanced cooperation, improved prosecution outcomes, and long-term capacity building within the Kenyan justice system.
The agreement
In a statement, the ODPP stated that the agreement marks a significant advancement in inter-agency collaboration aimed at ensuring accessible justice and the effective prosecution of trafficking offences in Kenya.
“The partnership between the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and HTI is expected to greatly enhance Kenya’s capacity to combat human trafficking through targeted training, expert support, and improved investigative resources,” read the statement in part
Further, the ODPP stated that the agreement also sets the stage for joint initiatives focused on strengthening the prosecution of trafficking in persons and enforcing the Counter Trafficking in Persons Act No. 8 of 2010.
On his part, Boutros expressed optimism about the partnership’s impact on fighting human trafficking in the country.
“We are honoured to work alongside Kenya’s ODPP in building a robust and sustainable system to bring traffickers to justice and protect victims. This MoU is a critical step in our shared mission to end human trafficking,” he stated.
HTI, a U.S.-based non-profit organisation, is renowned for its efforts to combat trafficking at its source by equipping law enforcement and prosecutors with expert tools, world-class training, and research-backed strategies.
Through this agreement, HTI will provide embedded experts and other resources to support Kenya’s prosecutors in handling complex trafficking cases.
The agreement follows a meeting between the two institutions held in November last year, which laid the groundwork for this strategic alliance.
Human trafficking
This comes a few months after the government confirmed that the Myanmar authorities successfully rescued 46 Kenyans from human trafficking networks where they were being held by a suspected Chinese cartel scamming people online.
“ The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs confirms that on February 12 2025, the Democratic Karen Buddhists Army (DKBA) succefully negotiated for the release of 261 foreigners from 18 nationanalities : 24 of these were Kenyans.
Further, the government confirmed that the release followed months of delicate negotiations spearheaded by the Kenya Embassy in Thailand in conjunction with various partners in Thailand and Myanmar.
