Kenya, UNODC agree on strategy to tackle cybercrime, drug trafficking

President William Ruto United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Monica Juma on September 22, 2026. [PCS]

Kenya and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), through its Executive Director Monica Juma have agreed to establish a multi-agency team to develop a national strategy to combat cybercrime, maritime crime, drug abuse and weaknesses in border control.

The team will include officials from the Interior Ministry, Office of the Attorney-General, Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies.

President Ruto, meeting with Juma in New York said the strategy would provide a coordinated response to increasingly complex security and public health challenges linked to organised crime and drug abuse.

The agreement was reached during talks between Ruto and Juma on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly high-level week in New York.

“We will deepen cooperation with UNODC on training and strengthening law enforcement capacity, while exploring collaboration on standards for the treatment of drug abuse,” Ruto said.

Juma said the discussions also focused on expanding cooperation on maritime and cyber-enabled crime, border controls and law enforcement.

The two discussed illicit drug trafficking routes linking Latin America and the Caribbean with Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Ruto also committed to advancing Kenya’s ratification of the UN  Convention against Cybercrime, adopted by the General Assembly in December 2024.

He said the government would complete the necessary domestic processes and submit the convention to Parliament.

The convention seeks to strengthen international cooperation in preventing and investigating cybercrime and securing electronic evidence.

Juma said the meeting would help build on existing cooperation between Kenya and UNODC.