Friday 11th September, 2026 04:48 PM|
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) are seeking to strengthen collaboration in the investigation and prosecution of financial and economic crimes.
The two institutions held discussions on Friday, September 11, 2026, during an ICPAK courtesy visit to the ODPP headquarters in Nairobi, focusing on ways to improve accountability and strengthen the handling of complex financial cases.
“Key areas discussed included strengthening accountability in public finance management, establishing whistle-blower protection mechanisms and combating impersonation and malpractice in the accountancy profession,” ODPP stated.
The ICPAK delegation was led by Senior Manager for Public Policy and Research Elias Wakhisi, Head of Legal Services Advocate Christabel Kaiwa and Head of Public Relations and Communications Mercy Maroma.
The delegation was received on behalf of Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga by Secretary of Prosecution Services Alloys Kemo.
Focus on financial crime cases
Kemo was accompanied by Senior Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions Hassan Abdi and Fredah Mwanza, as well as Deputy Directors Joseph Riungu and Robert Oyiembo.
The discussions covered accountability in public finance management, whistle-blower protection and measures to address impersonation and malpractice in the accountancy profession.
The institutions also explored specialised training for prosecutors in financial crimes and forensic accounting.
Other areas included expert-witness support in court and the sharing of data and intelligence to support investigations and prosecutions.
ICPAK proposed the development of a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise the partnership and provide a framework for continued cooperation.
Partnership targets stronger evidence
The renewed discussions build on cooperation between the two institutions dating back to 2019, when the ODPP engaged forensic auditors to support corruption and economic crime prosecutions.
The partnership comes as Kenya continues efforts to strengthen its systems for detecting, investigating and prosecuting financial crimes.
The country remains on the Financial Action Task Force grey list, with authorities required to demonstrate stronger action against money laundering and other financial crimes.
Financial cases involving large sums of money have highlighted the need for specialised skills in tracing transactions, analysing financial records and presenting complex evidence before courts.
ICPAK has also continued strengthening oversight of the accountancy profession, including action against unlicensed practitioners and measures aimed at improving the authenticity of financial documents.
ODPP, ICPAK seek formal framework
The ODPP has separately strengthened its approach to corruption and economic crime cases through updated prosecution guidelines and partnerships with other institutions.
The office has worked with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission on case strategies and partnered with Safaricom on cyber and fintech fraud matters.
The proposed Memorandum of Understanding with ICPAK would provide a formal framework for cooperation between prosecutors and accounting professionals.
The partnership is expected to support access to forensic accounting expertise, improve the preparation of financial evidence and strengthen the prosecution of complex economic crimes.
The two institutions will also explore ways of improving information sharing and specialised training as they work to strengthen accountability and protect public resources.