Kenya embeds INTERPOL skills in police training to tackle cross-border crime

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 28 — Kenya has completed a nationwide rollout of an INTERPOL policing course across its police training colleges, seeking to equip new officers with international crime-fighting skills before they are deployed.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB)–Nairobi, said the programme was designed to prepare recruits for increasingly borderless forms of crime, including transnational offences and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

The rollout, supported by Project Soteria–INTERPOL, began at the National Police College, Kiganjo Main Campus, and concluded at Embakasi ‘B’ Campus.

“The roll-out, which commenced at the National Police College, Kiganjo Main Campus, culminated at Embakasi ‘B’ Campus, marking another significant milestone in equipping Kenya’s next generation of police officers with the skills and knowledge required to confront modern and increasingly borderless crime,” the DCI said.

The Policing Capabilities Foundation Course introduces recruits to INTERPOL databases, Notices and Diffusions, alongside practical approaches to combating transnational crime and SGBV.

The DCI said the programme is intended to ensure officers can use international policing tools early in their careers to support investigations and exchange information with law-enforcement agencies beyond Kenya’s borders.

A key component of the rollout is training Kenyan police officers to become trainers themselves, allowing the knowledge and capabilities acquired through the programme to be retained and passed on within the National Police Service.

“By empowering certified Kenya Police trainers to deliver the course, INTERPOL knowledge and capabilities are firmly embedded within the national policing system—creating a pool of trainers capable of passing these skills on to future generations of officers,” the DCI said.

The training was conducted by trainers from the National Police Leadership Academy, National Criminal Investigations Academy, General Service Unit and INTERPOL NCB–Nairobi.

The DCI said the approach would strengthen the ability of officers preparing for deployment to access global policing capabilities, share critical information and contribute to international law-enforcement cooperation.

The programme comes as security agencies face increasingly complex threats that extend beyond national borders, including cybercrime, terrorism and organised crime.

The DCI reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the prevention and investigation of transnational crime and ensuring officers are prepared to respond to security threats both within Kenya and beyond its borders.