Govt Chemists moved to DCI to enhance investigations and prosecution

Last month, the directorates of Criminal Investigations and Public Prosecutions visited Germany to seek assistance in equipping the forensic laboratory in Nairobi and train personnel.

The team, led by the DCI director George Kinoti and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji for ODPP also went on a bench-marking tour of the BKA Forensic Laboratory.

BKA is Germany’s National Central Bureau of the International Criminal Police Organisation (NCRC) - better known as Interpol. BKA Vice President Michael Kretschmer and his team took Kinoti and Haji on a tour of the facility.

The visit was part of government efforts to tighten investigations of criminal activities in the country. Earlier, the DCI boss visited a similar facility in Khartoum, Sudan.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi announced the relocation of the Government Chemist and National Crime Research Centre to the DCI.

Previously, the Government Chemist operated under the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) in the Ministry of Health. The NCRC was based under the Office of the Attorney General.

Dr Matiangi said this was expected to consolidate and enhance police operations in solving crimes.

Database of criminals

“The DCI now has all it needs to move with speed to solve many crimes. The Government Chemist will enhance tests as NCRC helps in analysis of crimes,” said the CS. The Centre is mandated to carry out research into the causes of crime, prevention and disseminate the research findings and recommendations to Government agencies concerned with the administration of criminal justice and the public.

Under the DCI, the centre is said to be building a database of all criminal offenders. The Government Chemist is now located at the new site of the DCI’s forensic lab. Unlike before, the, government chemist officials have been accompanying police officers to scenes of crime.

In a latest case, government chemist officials together with police officers dusted the car and house of TV journalist Jacque Maribe who alongside her fiance Joseph Irungu is facing murder charges over the death of Monica Kimani in Kilimani, Nairobi.

Although the lab is complete, it is not operating to optimal capacity. When fully equipped, it will be used to help solve murder, robbery with violence, rape and housebreaking crimes among others. Many crimes go unsolved because the police lack a laboratory and Kenya’s detectives rely on foreign laboratories to conduct tests on issues under probe. For instance, toxicological tests are conducted either in South Africa or in European countries.

According to a strategic plan launched recently, the DCI plans to spend Sh7.6 billion in operations of the forensic laboratory. The money is part of the Sh38.5 billion the inspectorate earmarked for revamping its operations in the next three years.

The inspectorate plans to spend Sh14.2 million on training and developing specialised investigative capacity, Sh1.6 billion in completion of the construction of the forensic laboratory, Sh4 billion in equipping it and Sh2 billion in devolving forensic services to counties and sub counties in the period.

This will among others see detectives numbers increase from the current 5,436 to 10,500 as the inspectorate seeks to expand services to all counties.

A new 2015-2020 Strategic plan launched in Nairobi says the focus will be on four main areas including building institutional capacity, strengthening crime management, cooperating locally and internationally and establishing robust processes and systems.

Integration of security systems with national and international law enforcement agencies will take up Sh200 million while use of biometric control system will cost Sh151 million.

The laboratory is among projects that had been delayed by the Anglo leasing scandal.