Kenya, European Union Roll Out New Training to Combat Cryptocurrency and Digital Crimes

The European Union and the Government of Kenya have unveiled a new joint programme aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to investigate crimes linked to cryptocurrency and other digital assets.

The initiative, spearheaded through the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), will introduce a specialised training module that will equip the officers with advanced skills to track and respond to emerging threats in the virtual assets space.

According to a statement from the DCI, the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Investigation Training Module marks a major step in modernising law enforcement to keep pace with evolving criminal techniques.

The programme aims to position Kenya as a regional hub for digital crime investigations, a time when global financial systems are increasingly shifting to virtual platforms.

The launch was presided over by National Forensic Laboratory Director Rosemary Kuraru, who revealed that the Kiambu Road-based detectives are determined to stay ahead of criminal syndicates that exploitdigital platforms and decentralised technologiesfor money laundering, fraud, terrorism financing, and other cyber-enabled offences.

Additionally, she noted that law enforcement agencies must innovate continuously to counter criminals who are rapidly migrating to online spaces where anonymity and borderless transactions make detection more difficult.

At the same time, she highlighted that the training initiative will give officers a timely advantage in understanding and navigating these new digital environments.

The programme has been fully funded and technically supported by the European Union, in a bid to enhance global capacity incombating cross-border digital crime networks.

Through the collaboration, DCI officers and other stakeholders will gain specialised knowledge in tracing and analysing blockchain transactions, investigating crypto-linked offences, examining digital wallets and interpreting broader cryptocurrency ecosystems.

Digital assets have gained popularity in Kenya, with the government racing against time to draft a virtual assets legislation to govern the sector.

Under the new module, the government aims to close gaps in the digital assets trading by enhancing investigative techniques and ensuring officers can follow illicit financial trails across multiple jurisdictions.

Additionally, the government aims to modernise the DCI’s cybercrime and financial investigations units, aligning them with international standards. This is expected to improve Kenya’s response to threats such as ransomware attacks, crypto-scams and cross-border digital fraud schemes.