Kenya | ENACT Africa

Organised crime in Africa

Criminal colonialism: European organised crime in Africa – an exploratory study

This paper maps European organised crime's exploitation of Africa for trafficking, laundering and safe haven, tracing links to colonial legacies.

09 / 12 / 2025 by Mark Shaw & Alex Goodwin

Flora

Tracing illegal timber from the DRC’s forests to Asian markets

Illegal logging is driven by the high demand for luxury furniture, entrenched organised criminal networks and enforcement gaps.

28 / 11 / 2025 by Willis Okumu & Valtino Omolo

Fauna

Kenya’s 10-year plan to save the pancake tortoise

These beautifully patterned creatures face extinction due to habitat loss, land clearance, the illegal pet trade and climate change.

30 / 09 / 2025 by Halkano Wario & Noor Ali

IFFs and money laundering

Can anti-money laundering amendments get Kenya off FATF’s grey list?

The country’s new anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing amendments target deficiencies cited by the Financial Action Task Force.

09 / 09 / 2025 by Halkano Wario

Emerging crimes

Access to precursor chemicals fuels synthetic drug production in Kenya

Entry of Mexican drug cartels points to expanded synthetic drug manufacturing capacity in East Africa.

21 / 07 / 2025 by Valtino Omolo

Mining and extractives

Informality and criminality in East Africa’s gold trade

While artisanal gold mining supports millions of livelihoods across the region, inadequate legal frameworks enable organised criminal activities throughout the sector.

01 / 07 / 2025 by Willis Okumu & Halkano Wario

Flora

South Sudan’s ‘king of woods’ fills military coffers

East African criminal cooperation in teak smuggling sustains military factions in South Sudan and meets the high demand for teak from India.

25 / 06 / 2025 by Willis Okumu & Josephine Muthama

Human trafficking

Somali refugees in Kenya fall victim to Libyan-based traffickers

Trans-Saharan trafficking syndicates lure youngsters from the Dadaab camps with the promise of a better life in Europe.

15 / 05 / 2025 by Willis Okumu & Valtino Omolo

Flora

ENACT research helps Kenya cut illegal sandalwood trade

ISS worked with Kenyan police and forestry officers to significantly reduce the lucrative illicit trade in sandalwood.

15 / 04 / 2025

Fauna

Cheetah numbers decreasing fast in the Horn of Africa

A multi-pronged approach by government agencies in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula is essential to curb cheetah trafficking.

08 / 04 / 2025 by Willis Okumu & Valtino Omolo

Drug trafficking

To ban or to regulate muguka in Kenya?

Kenya needs in-depth empirical research to better regulate muguka and miraa drug consumption amid calls for restrictions.

24 / 09 / 2024 by Halkano Wario & Nicodemus Minde

Fauna

Felling giants: trophy hunters are wiping out Kenya-Tanzania super tuskers

Cross-border coordination is needed to protect the elephants that traverse the Amboseli and Enduimet ecosystems.

23 / 09 / 2024 by Willis Okumu & Valtino Omolo