United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The UNODC Regional Office in East Africa (ROEA)

Witness Protection Agency celebrates its tenth anniversary at regional conference

Nairobi, Kenya, 11 November 2021 - The Witness Protection Agency held a regional conference on witness protection as it celebrates ten years operating as an Agency.  The conference organised on the theme: Harnessing shared experiences to enhance collaboration and linkages for effective witness protection in Africa, brought together international experts, stakeholders and partners to share good practice, challenges and share experiences on witness protection.

Established under the 2006 Witness Protection Act, the Witness Protection Agency in Kenya came into operation on 1 September 2008. The purpose of the Agency is to provide special protection – on behalf of the state – to persons who have important information and are facing potential/real risk or intimidation, due to their cooperation with the prosecution, the police and other law enforcement agencies.

Officially opening the regional conference as the chief guest, Chief Justice Martha Koome informed participants that witnesses play an indispensable role in the justice system. She stated that witnesses provide the information, intelligence and evidence, which enable offenders to be brought to justice. In effect, the successful prosecution of crimes largely depends on securing reliable evidence, including the testimony of witnesses. 

Chief Justice Koome added, “To elicit cooperation from witnesses demands that states put in place well-functioning Witness Protection Programmes which ensure that threatened and intimidated witnesses are protected. I therefore commend Kenya and South Africa which have led the way for other African countries in enacting laws and operationalizing such programmes.” The Chief Justice also expressed her gratitude and thanked the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime  (UNODC) for supporting the setting up of the Agency over ten years ago.

 The Chief Justice also expressed her gratitude and thanked the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime  (UNODC) for supporting the setting up of the Agency over ten years ago.

Delivering her remarks at the conference, UNODC Deputy Regional Director, Ms Sylvie Bertrand congratulated the Agency in reaching its tenth anniversary in providing witness protection. Ms Bertrand said, “This regional conference is a testament to the Agency’s resolve in strengthening collaboration among key stakeholders in Kenya, by learning from witness protection agencies and criminal justice actors,  within the region and across the world.” 

She said, “Witness protection is a fundamental human right. In the years ahead, UNODC will continue to support the Agency in offering efficient and effective witness protection services to the citizens of Kenya.”

Deputy Head of Delegation, EU Delegation to Kenya, Ms Katrin Hagemann in attendance at the conference said the European Union regards witness protection as an indispensable tool in the fight against organised crime, corruption and terrorism.  She added that witnesses play a major role in criminal proceedings, and their testimonies help courts to establish facts and subsequently contribute to justice being served.

Ms Hagemann said, “Through the Programme for Legal Empowerment and Aid Delivery in Kenya, (PLEAD), the European Union supports the fight against serious crimes including corruption by supporting the protection of threatened witnesses. The support we provide to the Witness Protection Agency through PLEAD, goes a long way in enabling the Agency to deliver its mandate in the justice chain, while safeguarding safety and the welfare of witnesses.”

The regional conference marked the Witness Protection Agency’s second gathering with the first conference taking place in November 2009, which facilitated the set up and operationalisation of the Agency.

Serving for the last thirteen years at the Witness Protection Agency, and being the longest serving Director, Ms Alice Ondieki remarked that there is a need for a regional witness protection association in Africa.

Ms Ondieki stated, “It is expected that the outcomes of the conference will lead to firstly, increased awareness on witness protection, and the establishment of a network of regional and international contacts and focal points, for bench-marking and collaborative initiatives. Secondly, the establishment of a working group on the formation of a regional association on witness protection.”

For more information, contact:

Witness Protection Agency - Mr Calvine Oredi

Email: calvoe109@yahoo.co.uk 

European Union – delegation-kenya-press@eeas.europa.eu

UN Office on Drugs and Crime – unodc-plead@un.org