Uhuru ordered the ministries of Interior and ICT to come up with a programme within two weeks.
“These agencies should come up with a programme and advise me within two weeks how we will strengthen the capacity of the cybercrime unit,” he said.
This will be made through the Universal Service Fund which is administered and managed by the Communications Authority of Kenya.
The purpose of the fund is to support widespread access to ICT services, promote capacity building and innovation in ICT.
The sources of the fund include levies on licencees, appropriations from the government as well as grants and donations. The President said Kenya is at a global level in terms of technology.
He said there is a new wave of crime emerging including money siphoning through mobile services, which is becoming complex.
Uhuru spoke when he commissioned the National Forensic Laboratory at the DCI headquarters.
He said it was a dream delayed for over two decades and that the facility will help unravel complex crimes and protect police from unnecessary criticism.
“Crime has changed for the past decades. For instance, cybercrimes and cryptocurrency crimes were rare in the past. But that has changed hence the need for such technology and forensic laboratory,” he said.
He said the laboratory is part of infrastructure set out in the last years through provision of invaluable resources.
“It will bolster capabilities of the police to deliver justice. This is a highlight of the transformation we have made,” he said.
He added that police housing, level two hospitals, medical schemes and other projects have enhanced police capacity.
Chief Justice Martha Koome termed it an achievement adding it will help achieve justice.
“It will have a ripple effect on the cases that are taken to court as they will ensure availability of evidence to enhance justice,” she said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi said it had taken much sacrifice to launch the facility.
“Use this resources effectively to ensure justice for Kenyans. Make Kenyans proud with these resources and deliver,” Matiang’i said.
Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai and DCI boss George Kinoti pledged faster and professional services.
Nairobi Governor Anne Kananu said the facility had come at a time when crime is becoming complex and will help to solve the same scientifically.
Several foreign representatives were present. The facility has already started operations.
Uhuru said it's expected to fast-track investigations of serious crimes including terrorism, murder, robbery with violence, cybercrime and rape besides unraveling several cases, some of which had been difficult to crack.
The service has been relying on foreign and private laboratories to conduct tests for evidence on issues under probe.
Plans to set up the lab began in the 1990s under former President Daniel Moi but failed due to corruption scandals.
The physical structure was completed in 2015 before the fixing of the requisite equipment began.
The laboratory had been identified as a security flagship project under Vision 2030 and was to be completed under the first medium-term plan (2008-12).
Despite being classified under the security, peace building and conflict management sector the project failed to take off until March 2014.
And since then the government has invested heavily in the construction of the building and installed state-of-the-art equipment in the 10 scientific sections of the laboratory.
These are the Forensic Fingerprint Identification, Forensic Document Examination, Forensic Ballistics, Forensic Chemistry, Forensic Biology, Forensic Imaging and Acoustics.
Others are Forensic Evidence Management, Forensic Crime Scene Investigations, Forensic Digital, and the Forensic Bomb and Hazardous Materials Laboratories.
Experts drawn from the directorate have been trained locally and internationally and have been deployed in their respective areas of specialisation.
Among the crucial departments at the lab is the cybercrime section, whose main functions include forensic examination of computer and mobile phones, maintenance of lab processes of acquisition, archival and analysis.
Others are maintenance of inventories of digital evidence, analysis of deleted and active files, location and analysis of data in ambient data sources and recovery of deleted or encrypted emails, SMS, videos, internet sites.
The rest include uncovering passwords, forensic SIM card analysis, extraction of data from mobile phones, and presentation of expert forensic evidence in court by officers attached to the department.
One of the biggest sections will be Digital Forensic Laboratory, which will identify, seize, acquire and analyse all electronic devices related to all cyber-enabled offences reported.
This is to collect digital evidence that will be presented in a court of law for prosecution.
The DFL is divided into subunits, each outlining specific roles and responsibilities of the Digital Forensics Analysts.
DCI is also working closely with other agencies including the Ministry of Health in crime prevention and detection.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
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