Why Kenya is flagged among Africa's crime hotspots

If you thought you were safe, whether in your office or bedroom, you may be mistaken, after all.

A new Africa Organised Crime Index has ranked the country fourth on the continent, after the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa and Nigeria, in terms of crime complexity and occurrence between 2019 and 2025.

At the heart of the criminality scores are cybercrimes, human trafficking, drug trafficking, smuggling of gold and other rare earth minerals, poaching for treasures such as ivory, and illegal logging taking place across the continent’s prime forests.  

Coincidentally, the report was launched in Nairobi last Monday, just hours after several government websites, including president.go.ke, were attacked and rendered inaccessible, underscoring just how sensitive data can end up on the dark web, often offered for sale to the highest bidder.

Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo warned that individuals found culpable will face the full force of the law, and “our focus is on building layered defences, improving readiness, and ensuring that any attempt is detected early, contained quickly and neutralised decisively.”

These unsettling findings, especially regarding the use of technology in criminal activity, have come amid ongoing court battles triggered by President William Ruto’s recent signing of the Computer Misuse and Cyber Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Compiled using open data, publicly available statistics including those published by governments, and expert verification across 54 African countries, the report examines the past, present and future organised crimes and goes ahead to lift the lid on how economic, social, historical and political factors underpin the intersection of criminality and conflict.

“The upward trends underscore the rising prominence of online fraud, which poses a cross-border threat for Africa and the rest of the world,” the report says, adding that in 2024, Kenya and South Africa  lost 3.6 per cent and 3.4 per cent of their GDP, respectively, to online scams.

Africa’s criminal markets have matured, the report adds, with local networks expanding, mafia-style groups consolidating, and foreign actors strengthening transnational and intra-continental criminality. Kenya, it says, is among 12 African countries with the highest human smuggling scores.

The Africa Organised Crime Index 2025 is authored by Enact (Enhancing Africa’s Response to Transnational Organised Crime), supported by the European Union, and implemented by the Institute for Security Studies, Interpol and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crimes. The inaugural index was released in 2019.

Rumbi Matamba, the report’s lead analyst, said Kenya’s high criminality is driven by multiple factors, including the complexity of crimes, trade, air traffic routes, transport networks, and banking systems. “Cybercrime is widespread in Kenya. The country scores almost 8 out of 10 in this category,” she told journalists at the launch. The report also highlights Kenya’s role in illicit mineral flows.

“A network of transit hubs sustains the illicit gold trade in areas with weak regulation, close to production zones, or with strong logistical links. These include Mali and Ghana in West Africa, Libya in North Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya in East Africa, and Zimbabwe in Southern Africa,” it says.

Mombasa, in particular, was reported to have become strategically important in the heroin trade, with multiple seizures of hundreds of kilograms on vessels in the Indian Ocean.

“While cocaine has recently gained prominence in Africa’s illicit drug landscape, heroin, particularly of Afghan origin, has long been trafficked across the continent.

In 2025, Southern Africa and East Africa recorded the highest regional scores for the heroin trade in Africa,” the report adds.

Meanwhile, Kenya and Tanzania are key sources of illicit ivory shipped from ports including Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, Maputo, and Nampula to Asian markets such as Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Malaysia.

“Trafficking of cheetahs from East Africa is also rampant, where an estimated 300 cubs are smuggled through Somalia each year to private collectors in Gulf countries,” the report showed.

Arms trafficking is another growing concern, with Kenya affected by porous borders with Somalia. “Across the Horn of Africa, weapons leaking from conflict zones end up in the hands of regional criminal networks and extremist groups. Arms trafficked from Somalia often reach Kenya, where they are used by cattle-raiding militias and criminal gangs,” the findings indicate.

Nigeria is similarly affected, where rising insecurity has spurred demand for illicit arms from violent extremists, separatist groups, and ordinary communities seeking protection.

Nigerian government has lately been on the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump, who accuses it of complicity in dealing with ‘religious’ attacks.

Reacting to the report, civil society officials led by former Ethics Permanent Secretary John Githongo called for swift action.

“Kenya has not done very well, especially regarding state-embedded actors. Accountability among leaders is uncommon,” Githongo said.

The report also notes that Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Mali, and the Central African Republic have the highest rates of violent deaths on the continent, driven by criminal violence, gang warfare, political instability, and unresolved communal and intergroup grievances.

Cybercrime remains high in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, with South Africa recording a full-point increase since 2023. “During this period, many African countries were hit by major cyberattacks affecting infrastructure and services across sectors, including banking, energy, and government,” the 136-page report adds.

To combat organised crime, the authors urge African nations to build resilience, invest in youth, monitor criminal networks, strengthen civil society, and establish independent investigative bodies.