FBI Director Christopher Asher Wray concluded his trip to Kenya on Wednesday after holding a series of meetings with top security officials. Arriving on Saturday, June 8, for a five-day visit, his presence drew speculation regarding his mission.
However, when asked about it, Wray explained that his visit was simply to enhance operations for general stability in the region and to strengthen the partnership with Kenya.
During his visit, Wray expressed gratitude for the cooperation and collaboration between the two countries, emphasizing the importance of their partnership. Security officials described the visit as historic, noting that Wray and his team spent five days in Nairobi, holding meetings and visiting various locations.
Wray visited several notable places, including the Nairobi National Park, Dusit D2 Complex, and several malls. At the Dusit D2 Complex, he observed the impact of terrorism in the country, specifically the January 16, 2019, terror attack that resulted in the deaths of 22 civilians and five terrorists.
Additionally, Wray held separate meetings with key security officials, including National Intelligence Service Director General Noordin Haji, Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission CEO Twalib Mbarak, and Director of Public Prosecution Mulele Ingonga.
These discussions focused on areas of cooperation between their institutions, with cyber crimes, terrorism, and corruption topping the agenda.
Journalists had the opportunity to ask Wray questions at the DCI headquarters, where he also planted a tree. DCI Director Mohamed Amin highlighted the significance of the visit, stating that it demonstrated the US government’s commitment to the region. He also mentioned that the FBI has been instrumental in training and equipping DCI personnel to enhance their capacity in the fight against crime.
The visit is beneficial to the country, and we are grateful for all their ongoing support. We learn much through such joint sessions,” he said.
Wray emphasized that they will continue to cooperate with Kenyan institutions in training and equipping for the security of the country and the broader region. The FBI has been providing tools and specialized training to the DCI and other agencies. This month, a team of over a dozen Kenyan investigators will begin undercover training at the FBI Academy in Virginia.
He explained that part of his visit was to express gratitude for the outstanding collaboration and cooperation with the FBI.
“Part of the reason for my visit is to say thank you for that outstanding collaboration with the DCI and other agencies we work with in Kenya,” he said.
Wray highlighted the launch of the Joint Terrorism Taskforce (JTTF) with Kenya as a critical element in the fight against terrorism.
“We are working with partners here in Kenya to provide cutting-edge tools so that they can get those tools in the hands of investigators on the ground and identify the threats and stay ahead of those threats,” he stated.
“We have been working with partners at the DCI to bring together partners in and around this region to talk about threats we are all seeing, to share lessons learned, and to share new ways to work together to combat terrorism threats.”
The FBI legal attaché program has placed personnel at the US embassy in Nairobi, including a special agent bomb technician, a member of the FBI’s counterterrorism fly team, and a Hostage Rescue Team operator embedded on a permanent rotating basis.
Wray spent time with officials at the institutions to understand where the FBI needs to focus more efforts to combat emerging threats. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) mentioned their long-standing collaboration with the FBI, which dates back to 2001.
Through this close cooperation, EACC investigators have benefited from various specialized training on undercover operations, tradecraft, and modern techniques in investigating complex financial and economic crimes, corruption cases, and the recovery of corruptly acquired and unexplained wealth.
During the meeting, Wray discussed with the EACC CEO various collaboration initiatives for effective modern law enforcement.
The discussions focused on enhancing partnerships between the FBI and EACC to counter transnational corruption and economic crimes.
There was a resolve by the FBI to enhance its support to the commission through training and acquisition of modern investigative tools and equipment.
The meeting also explored ways of leveraging the exchange of information to support the tracing and recovery of corruptly acquired assets stashed abroad.
Mbarak said the visit marks a major milestone as they seek to deepen their partnership and explore areas of cooperation.
“With technical support from the FBI, the Commission will have a greater impact in investigating high-impact cases and robustly pursue recovery of corruptly acquired assets and unexplained wealth,” Mbarak.
The visit comes days after President William Ruto visited the US for days and met his host Joe Biden.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency.
It enforces federal law and investigates a variety of criminal activity including terrorism, cybercrime, white-collar crimes, public corruption, civil rights violations, and other major crimes.
