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The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution has announced a plan to facilitate training opportunities for Kenyan prosecutors in India.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga revealed this when he hosted the Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Namgya Khampa on January 15, 2025.

The meeting aimed at enhancing bilateral collaboration between the two countries in the justice sector with a focus on capacity-building initiatives.

“Collaborations such as these enable us to broaden our horizons and equip our prosecutors with critical expertise to address the dynamic challenges of the modern justice landscape,” Ingonga said.

According to the DPP, the proposed training program is set to empower prosecutors with advanced prosecutorial skills and international perspectives.

“The discussion centred on fostering cooperation between the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the High Commission of India, with a focus on capacity-building initiatives. The key highlight of the meeting was the proposal to facilitate training opportunities for Kenyan prosecutors in India. These training programs are expected to empower the prosecutors with advanced prosecutorial skills and international perspectives,” ODPP announced.

On her part, the Indian High Commissioner to Kenya affirmed India’s readiness to support Kenya’s efforts in bolstering the prosecutorial capacity and combating crime.

“This partnership reflects the strong and growing ties between our two nations. India is committed to contributing to Kenya’s pursuit of justice and legal excellence,” she noted.

Empty coffers

This partnership comes barely a month after the DPP announced a budget shortfall in the key government agency.

Speaking on December 4, 2024, during the launch of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) Strategic Plan for 2023-2027, DPP Ingonga expressed concerns about a Ksh 7 billion deficit, noting that it could significantly impair the agency’s operations if not addressed.

Ingonga disclosed that the agency is currently investigating murder cases linked to femicide and gross human rights violations by law enforcement authorities, which arose during the deadly anti-government protests in June 2024. He warned that a lack of funding would hinder their efforts.

The DPP stated that funds are necessary to enhance the agency’s human resources by training more prosecutors and addressing the backlog of corruption and economic crime cases.

He highlighted that the office has estimated a resource requirement of approximately Ksh 26.831 billion, while the projected budgetary allocation is only Ksh 19.591 billion, resulting in a resource gap of about Ksh 7.24 billion.

“…the office has projected a resource requirement of approximately Sh26.831 billion against a projected budgetary allocation of Sh19.591 billion, this translates to a resource gap of approximately Sh7.24 billion,” Ingonga said.