A group of lawmakers from the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) is set to begin a three-day oversight mission on Tuesday, focusing on Kenya's police centres of excellence. The delegation, from the Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution, will kick off their visit with a courtesy call to Acting Inspector General of Police, Gilbert Masengeli, at his office in Jogoo House B.
Zipporah Kering, the leader of the delegation, stated that their primary objective is to evaluate the performance and operations of these centres. Additionally, they will assess the level of cooperation among security agencies in combating cross-border crime within the East African Community (EAC).
Kering highlighted the increasing threat of terrorism and violent extremism in the region, as well as the rise of new trafficking routes facilitated by criminal networks using advanced technologies and digital platforms. "The EAC region is becoming a hub for such activities, and our goal is to identify ways to counter these growing threats," she said.
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The delegation will also explore the challenges facing law enforcement and assess the legal and institutional frameworks governing joint operations such as cross-border pursuits and the extradition of criminals. "We aim to identify any obstacles in the execution of policing duties and find ways to strengthen the legal and institutional frameworks for better collaboration in the region," Kering added.
In parallel, four other sub-committees from the EALA are conducting similar oversight exercises in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Burundi. After these visits, the committees will compile a joint report outlining their findings and recommendations for improving security surveillance and tackling cross-border criminal activities. This report will be presented to the Assembly.
As part of their visit, the delegation will inspect the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Training School on Wednesday morning, followed by a tour of the Police Airwing/Aviation Centre of Excellence in the afternoon. They will also visit the Police Centre of Counter Terrorism.
Kenya has implemented several measures to address threats, particularly in border regions, although cross-border crimes continue to pose significant challenges to the EAC nations.
