Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga speaks at a regional workshop geared towards fighting human trafficking./HANDOUT
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga has opened a high-level regional workshop aimed at enhancing the fight against trafficking in persons across the Horn of Africa.
The three-day forum, hosted in Nairobi, brings together key anti-human trafficking stakeholders from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Djibouti.
The goal is to strengthen regional coordination and adopt harmonised approaches rooted in human rights, victim protection, and trauma-informed responses, especially with a focus on gender sensitivity and child welfare.
In his opening address, Ingonga underscored the need for collaborative and strategic efforts to counter the rising tide of human trafficking and migrant smuggling in the region.
“Human trafficking and migrant smuggling are among the leading transnational organised crimes within the region. Addressing them requires a unified and standardised regional approach,” he said.
The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) being discussed and refined at the forum include both proactive and reactive strategies such as intelligence-led investigations, financial tracking, and mechanisms to enhance international police and judicial cooperation.
Ingonga highlighted the forum as a vital platform for
sharing experiences, exchanging intelligence, and building the capacity of
national and regional actors.
“This forum highlights the significance of our resolve in addressing transboundary crimes and improving victim protection through cooperation, training, and intelligence sharing,” he added.
He also emphasised the importance of investing in inter-agency collaboration, technology-driven data systems, and sustained regional dialogue to strengthen the impact of anti-trafficking measures.
Johanna Bögel, Regional Coordinator for Kenya and Somalia under the Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme, echoed these sentiments, noting that the forum aims to deepen regional, bilateral, and interdisciplinary cooperation.
“This platform is critical for aligning national priorities with regional goals in tackling human trafficking and supporting victims effectively across borders,” she said.
Marco Bufo, Regional Coordinator and Team Leader at
CIVIPOL—an international technical cooperation agency affiliated with the
French Ministry of Interior—affirmed the agency’s support for regional
alignment in fighting human trafficking through enhanced coordination and
capacity building.
Uganda’s Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, James Owere Odumbi, commended the initiative as a timely and necessary step forward.
“Trafficking in persons is a local crisis that demands a collective regional response. This forum marks a critical step towards a joint approach. Uganda is proud to be part of this initiative,” he said.
As the forum continues over the next two days, participants
will focus on operationalising the SOPs through case studies, collaborative
planning, and identifying mechanisms to reinforce cross-border legal frameworks
and victim support systems.
