UK forms special team to aid Kenya seize graft assets

The British government has formed a special team to help Kenya trace and recover assets that are proceeds of corruption and hidden in London.

High Commissioner to Kenya Nic Hailey said specialist UK government financial analysts and investigators have been posted in Nairobi where they are working with their local counterparts to bust suspected corruption syndicates.

Dozens of Kenyan State officials and business people have appeared in court since May on charges related to the alleged theft of hundreds of millions of shillings from public coffers in a new drive to tackle widespread graft.

“They are tracking every financial dealings of suspected individuals to block corruption networks,” Mr Hailey said, arguing the UK is committed to supporting Kenya’s efforts to nab graft barons and send them to jail.

“Where people are hiding money in the UK, or where we can help convict the corrupt in Kenya, we will give every possible support.”

Mr Hailey spoke when the newly appointed UK Director of Public Prosecutions Max Max Hill met his Kenyan counterpart Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji in Nairobi and announced the progress of the new collaboration to help Kenya’s war on graft. Speaking at a press conference after meeting Kenyan officials, Mr Hill who is the head of the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service, the chief agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales, said his office had embarked on investigations into corruption.

“We are pursuing several live cases but I can’t comment on them because they fall under different legal jurisdictions,” he said at a media briefing.

Mr Hill, who also met the Chief Justice David Maraga, vowed his UK office would do all it can to help Kenya trace its looted billions including those stolen during the Moi-era.

The Kenyan Judiciary has been on the spot for alleged delay in the handling of graft cases compared its UK counterpart.

“Our co-operation with Kenya also entails looking at the fight on corruption as a whole, including the justice procedure,” said Mr Hill.