Keriako Tobiko elected president of East African Association of Prosecutors

DPP Keriako Tobiko will be president of the East African Association of Prosecutors for five years. (Photo: File/Standard)

Kenya's Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko has been elected president of the East African Association of Prosecutors (EAAP).

Tobiko will be the head of a 10-member committee comprising of executive members of the East Africa Community states in implementing a five-year strategic plan approved at the EAAP Annual General Meeting held in Kampala, Uganda.

The association’s mandate includes promotion and facilitation of cooperation among member states, detection, investigations and prosecution of crimes in the region and offering legal assistance to member prosecuting authorities.

Tobiko replaced the Uganda Court of Appeal judge, Richard Butters who has been holding the mantle as the association’s president since its inception in 2010, as the second president.

Richard Muhumuza, the DPP Rwanda is the new vice president taking over from Martin Ngoga while Biswalo Mganga, the DPP Tanzania, takes over as the General Secretary, replacing Elieza Mbuki Feleshi.

EAAP also facilitates exchange of suspects and convicted prisoners, faster extraditions and conducts joint training for officials of member states.

Others on the committee are Justice Mike Chibita, the new treasurer, and Burundi’s Valentin Bagorikunda was elected as the new General Counsel of the association, in absentia.

Those elected as the new country executive leaders include, Betty Khisa a State attorney from Uganda, Ayub Mwenda from Tanzania, Patrick Gumo from Kenya, Claudine Dushimimana from Rwanda and Loboire Nkurunziza from Burundi.

The leaders are expected to hold their respective offices for five years as per the association’s Constitution.