Ruto Responds To EU After Blacklisting Kenya Over Money Laundering
President William Ruto has offered increased funding for investigative and prosecuting authorities to combat money laundering.
Ruto agreed that Kenya, like any other country, faces difficulty in combating money laundering and other organised crimes.
On Thursday, the president spoke at the Commonwealth Heads of Prosecuting Agencies Conference’s concluding ceremony in Mombasa.
We urge prosecutory agencies across the globe to develop regional and international mechanisms to effectively address complex emerging threats collaboratively.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) June 12, 2025
The use of complex criminal tactics, such as sophisticated encrypted social media platforms and cryptocurrency to… pic.twitter.com/RVFSpv3e1E
“The government of Kenya remains committed to ensuring the rule of law and advancing a human-centred approach to prosecution and pursuit of justice,” Ruto stated.
“This conference has offered us an opportunity to respond to the emerging threats facing our country.”
“I look forward to your recommendations and assure you that the government of Kenya will support full empowerment and funding of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for their implementation effectively,” he assured.
The Head of State further stated that Kenya was completely committed to reforming its anti-money laundering and asset forfeiture frameworks.
“Importantly, the revamping of our anti-money laundering and asset forfeiture framework is a testament to our commitment,” Ruto added.
“It reflects our pursuit of greater specialisation, stronger institutions, and high-quality investigations.”
The moves came a day after the European Commission added Kenya to its updated list of high-risk nations.
Kenya exhibited strategic flaws in its national anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism regimes.
On Tuesday, the Commission announced the addition of several third-country authorities to its list, including Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal, and Venezuela.
Kenya is one of five African countries added to the EU's updated list of high-risk jurisdictions for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing:
— Mwango Capital (@MwangoCapital) June 12, 2025
—The others include Namibia, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, and Algeria.
—Senegal and Uganda have been removed. pic.twitter.com/anOWHIXHg5
According to the study, Kenya and the impacted countries have now been added to the blacklist of countries that must be monitored more closely for money laundering measures.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) compiles a “grey list” of countries that require greater financial transaction surveillance.
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The FATF is a Paris-based organization that evaluates the work of more than 200 nations and jurisdictions to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s Financial Reporting Centre has increased its monitoring of questionable financial transactions.
The FRC has also increased its cooperation with reporting institutions, particularly banks, insurance companies, SACCOs, and forex bureaus, by implementing real-time transaction monitoring and enhanced due diligence standards.
Additionally, on Tuesday, Abdalla Komesha, Director Investigations Bureau at DCI Headquarters, underlined the detectives’ commitment to investigating money laundering, terrorism funding, and major predicate offenses, including organized crime.
Ruto Responds To EU After Blacklisting Kenya Over Money Laundering
