Mombasa – President William Ruto closed the 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Prosecuting Agencies Conference in Mombasa on Wednesday, calling for deeper international collaboration in tackling cross-border crime.
Speaking at the Sarova Whitesands Hotel, where the five-day summit drew to a close, Mr Ruto stressed that countries could not afford to fight crime in isolation.
“Transnational criminal networks don’t respect borders,” he said. “Neither should our cooperation. We must work together as equals, with shared trust and purpose.”
The President was joined at the ceremony by Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga.
The conference, held under the theme “Building Partnerships: A United Front Against Transnational Organised Crimes,” brought together prosecutors and legal experts from 19 Commonwealth member states. Attendees included delegations from across Africa including Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, and Nigeria as well as from the Caribbean, Europe, and Oceania.
In addition to Commonwealth members, Morocco and Azerbaijan sent observers to the event, reflecting growing international concern over how criminal syndicates exploit legal loopholes and weak enforcement across borders.
Topics under discussion included human trafficking, money laundering, cybercrime, and narcotics smuggling all of which have surged in recent years, according to law enforcement agencies.
“The globalisation of crime demands a global response,” said DPP Ingonga during a panel session on Tuesday. “Sharing intelligence, aligning legal strategies, and building mutual trust between prosecution offices is no longer optional it’s urgent.”
Governor Nassir, whose coastal city is no stranger to the effects of illegal trafficking routes, echoed the need for stronger domestic and international legal systems.
“Mombasa is a hub,” he said. “And with that comes opportunity but also risk. We cannot pretend that any one government can manage this alone.”
The annual HOPAC meeting is a key platform for prosecutors across the Commonwealth to exchange knowledge, forge bilateral ties, and review progress on criminal justice reforms.
Though largely technical in nature, this year’s gathering drew heightened interest given the rise of complex global crimes that span finance, technology, and migration networks.
For President Ruto, the event was also a chance to position Kenya as a leader in regional justice reform.
“Kenya is committed to the rule of law, to justice that is fair, and to institutions that can stand against corruption and crime,” he told delegates.
The President did not shy away from mentioning the need for prosecution agencies to operate independently and with integrity, noting that trust in the justice system was essential to national stability.
This year’s summit ends with a renewed call for a unified approach a recognition, as one delegate from New Zealand put it, that “crime has gone global, and so must justice.”
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