The Eastern African Association of Prosecutors (EAAP), in partnership with SecFin Africa, has commenced a five-day training workshop in Nairobi on capacity building in the prosecution of cases involving virtual assets, with a focus on combating digital finance, cryptocurrency, online fraud, cross-border transfer, and cyber-enabled financial crimes.
The workshop is aimed at improving prosecutorial knowledge in virtual assets, cryptocurrency, and blockchain transactions that will enable the prosecutors in Eastern Africa to interpret blockchain intelligence, guide investigations, and prepare Mutual Legal Assistance requests as well as effectively present evidence in court.
Delivering his opening remarks on behalf of the DPP and the Secretary General of EAAP, Mr. Renson Ingonga, CBS, OGW, Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Vincent Monda, OGW, and the East Africa Association of Prosecutors (EAAP) Main Focal Point warmly welcomed and thanked participants for their commitment to regional cooperation and the collective fight against transnational organized crime.
Mr. Monda noted that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommends states to apply anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures to virtual asset service providers. He added that Kenya has taken an important step through the Virtual Asset Service and Providers Act, 2025, which provides a framework for licensing and regulating virtual asset service providers operating in or from Kenya.
He observed that the technology can support accountability as transactions recorded on public blockchains may leave persistent trails capable of being analyzed long after an offence has occurred, but the challenge remains in linking digital wallet addresses to natural persons, preserving evidence lawfully, engaging service providers promptly, and securing assets before they are moved, converted, or dissipated.
Speaking during the workshop, Mr. Samuel Eduam from SecFin Africa, Eastern Africa Hub, observed that digital finance is normally exploited by criminal elements for money laundering, corruption, terrorism financing, and other forms of cyber-enabled financial crimes.
He noted that the training was timely, as the knowledge of understanding of digital wallets, exchanges, blockchain transactions, asset tracing, mutual legal assistance, and confiscation is critical in combating complex cases.
He further noted that the pseudonymous nature of the virtual assets transactions allows the proceeds of crime to move cross-border with ease. He emphasized that this can only be effectively addressed through harmonized approaches, peer learning, and regional cooperation.
The workshop brings together prosecutors, representatives from the attorney general, investigators, and international partners from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda, Malawi, Seychelles, Mozambique, Zambia, Zanzibar, and South Sudan to share best practices and build capacity in the implementation of cross-border legal cooperation tools.