DCI Kenya Confirms Surge in Crypto-Related Crime as Regional Investigators Complete Specialized Training

Kenya’s top investigative agency has acknowledged a sharp rise in crypto-linked crime as officers complete advanced blockchain forensics training.

Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has confirmed that cryptocurrency-related crimes are rising across the country. Director of the Investigations Bureau, Mr. Abdalla Komesha, made the disclosure during the closing ceremony of the Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies Crime Investigations Course at the National Criminal Investigations Academy (NCIA). He said the EU-supported training would give detectives the forensic skills needed to track cross-border illicit crypto transactions.

The five-day course brought together investigators from more than ten African nations. NCIA Commandant, Mr. Sospeter Munyi, encouraged participants to apply their new expertise to strengthen digital crime investigations. Officials from the EU, EU-ACT, EAPCCO, and NCIA leadership also attended the ceremony.

Throughout 2025, DCI Kenya has reported increasing crypto-linked offenses—from money laundering warnings in June, to a KES 500 million bank breach in July, to the CBEX scam affecting Kenyans and Nigerians. Multiple arrests tied to terrorism financing through crypto followed in October and November.

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