Turkey training Kenya police to fight crime, terrorism

NAIROBI

Members of security forces secure a building at the scene where explosions and gunshots were heard at the Dusit hotel compound, in Nairobi, Kenya, on Jan. 15, 2019. (REUTERS Photo)

Turkey’s state aid agency kicked off a training program for Kenyan police on Feb. 24 in a bid to modernize and improve Kenya’s law enforcement agencies.

The training by the Turkish police started in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, with the coordination of the Directorate General of Security and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA).

The trainees will learn about criminal investigation methods and strategies for national security, identification, criteria, and characteristics of the crime organization, organized crime investigations systematics, weapons, ammunition, and dangerous substance smuggling, among many other areas.

Dozens of Kenyan police will also learn about laundering offenses and terror financing, which is chocking under massive corruption in Kenya. They will also be trained on corruption and financial offenses investigation methods.

“TİKA has commenced the training activity between the Turkish Directorate General of Security and the Kenyan police service. Two trainers from the Turkish International Academy Against Drugs and Organized Crime (TADOC) have started the course program,” Emre Yüksek, the TİKA coordinator in Kenya, told state-run Anadolu Agency reporters.

He added that the trainees are from various departments of the Kenyan police, including the criminal investigation department and the administration police.

He added that TİKA is keen to support further programs for Kenya’s efforts to boost the capacity building of the police service.

“In this regard these activities will continue in 2020 and 2021 in various subjects around terrorism and smuggling and provision of security of key institutions like airports,” Yüksek said.

TİKA has police training programs in more than 60 countries in the last ten years and is adding new countries to the program every year.