DPP Ingonga calls for regional unity to tackle cross-border crime and SGBV

Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga, along other regional leaders, at the Second Joint Roundtable of Directors of Public Prosecutions and Inspectors General in Nairobi, to strengthen the fight against sexual and gender-based violence on July 1, 2025/ ODPP/X

Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga has called for stronger regional collaboration in combating cross-border crime, with a special focus on addressing sexual and gender-based violence.

Speaking at the Second Joint Roundtable of Directors of Public Prosecutions and Inspectors General in Nairobi, Ingonga reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to a coordinated and survivor-centred regional approach to serious transnational crimes.

“Your presence reflects our collective commitment to tackling the most urgent and devastating forms of violence within our region,” Ingonga told delegates, including senior law enforcement and prosecutorial officials from across East Africa.

Among those in attendance were Supreme Court Judge Njoki Ndung’u, Tanzania Deputy Director and National Prosecution Services, Bibiana Kileo; Zanzibar Deputy DPP, Mwanamkaa Mohammed; Uganda Police Force head of SGBV, Annete Karungi and Tanzania Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police and Head of Anti-Trafficking, Tulibake Kasongwa.

Also present was Head of Investigations at Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations Abdalla Komesha.

The roundtable sought to strengthen cross-border cooperation by aligning regional policies and strategies in the fight against SGBV.

Key proposals included the development of a regional SGBV strategy, the formation of joint investigation teams, and the creation of an integrated database of convicted sexual offenders to close jurisdictional gaps and enhance accountability.

“The high prevalence of SGBV erodes trust, undermines justice, and destroys the dignity of victims,” Ingonga said.

He further urged the integration of anti-SGBV initiatives into professional regional bodies such as the Eastern Africa Association of Prosecutors and the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (EAPCCO).

Justice Njoki Ndung’u echoed these sentiments, calling on institutions to lead by example by adopting internal anti-SGBV policies.

“Such policies go a long way in ensuring fair administration and safeguarding the rights of every individual,” she said.

International partners also expressed support.

GIZ’s Police Programme Africa, Ulrich Jaenen and Executive Director of Lawyers Without Borders, Jessica Ryckman, pledged continued investment in capacity building and called for a united legal and civil society front against SGBV.

The forum concluded with renewed calls for measurable outcomes, concrete timelines and institutional accountability in implementing regional anti-SGBV strategies.