Also known as: ODPP · Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Prosecutorial authority that approves criminal charges and oversees prosecution; involved in building collapse, land fraud, and other cases as of June 2026.
… dent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Principal Investigator Justin Nyatete that after completing investigations, he prepared a case file containing witness statements, evidence and a summary of findings before forwarding it to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions …
… Speaking in Nyeri, the parents highlighted the pain they continue to endure nearly two years after the deadly inferno, accusing the Director of Public Prosecutions of being a hindrance in the ongoing inquest at the Nyeri Law Courts. …
… The charges arise from investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) into the procurement of the Nyamira County Assembly office block project, which led the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to approve the prosecution of seven county assembly officials in …
… He also urged the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to review available evidence, including CCTV footage from the university, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought against those responsible. …
… They further called on the National Police Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to immediately review investigative and arrest procedures involving minors and align them with the constitutional standards set by the court. …
… The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is set to receive Sh5.1 billion, while the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) will get Sh7 billion. …
… arles Rotich, and Yvonne Chepkoech, administrator of the estate of Joseph Langat, through advocate Kipkoech Ng’etich, have filed separate constitutional petitions against the Inspector General of Police, the Director of Criminal Investigations, the Director of Public Prosecutions …
An inquest into the death of protester Rex Masai, who was shot during June 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations, heard that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority found insufficient evidence to identify and prosecute the police officer responsible. The investigator reported that despite statements from 19 witnesses and additional photographs and videos, the available material did not support criminal charges.
Why it matters
IPOA's inability to identify the officer who shot protester Rex Masai during June 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations highlights ongoing accountability gaps in police conduct investigations.
An inquest into the death of protester Rex Masai, who was shot during June 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations, heard that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority found insufficient evidence to identify and prosecute the police officer responsible. The investigator reported that despite statements from 19 witnesses and additional photographs and videos, the available material did not support criminal charges.
Families of 21 boys who died in the Hillside Endarasha Academy dormitory fire in September 2024 are accusing the government of neglect and saying the Director of Public Prosecutions is hindering the ongoing inquest at Nyeri Law Courts, despite earlier promises of support.
Nyamira County Assembly Clerk Duke Simeon Onyari was arraigned on corruption charges for allegedly awarding a tender for the county assembly office block construction to Jetta Builders Limited despite the company not being the lowest evaluated bidder, conferring an unlawful benefit of over Ksh.30.2 million. He pleaded not guilty to two charges including wilful failure to comply with procurement laws and was freed on Ksh.400,000 cash bail.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga condemned police violence, demanding public explanation for the deployment of hooded officers in Nanyuki and armed plain-clothes officers in a university hostel, and warned against normalizing excessive force by law enforcement following deaths of protesters in Laikipia County and shootings at Multimedia University.
Following a May 20 High Court ruling that declared the criminalisation of consensual adolescent peer relationships unconstitutional, civil society organisations are calling for the expungement of criminal records and psychosocial support for minors previously prosecuted under Kenya's Sexual Offences Act. Justice Bahati Mwamuye found that Sections 8, 9 and 11 of the Act violated constitutional rights when applied to adolescents in consensual, non-coercive relationships.
Treasury CS John Mbadi has proposed Sh50 billion for Parliament, Sh30.4 billion for the Judiciary, and Sh5.1 billion for the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission in the 2026-27 budget, saying these allocations will intensify anti-corruption efforts and reinforce public sector integrity. The budget also includes Sh51.5 billion for water and sewerage infrastructure, forest conservation allocations, and environment management funding.
Between January 2024 and May 2026, security agencies confiscated 493,073 litres of illicit alcohol in Kenya's Rift Valley region, the highest volume in the country, according to data presented to Parliament by the Deputy Inspector General of Police. Arrests related to illicit alcohol offences in the region fell from 16,040 in 2024 to 532 in the first five months of 2026, which police attributed to progress in efforts to curb the trade.
Two night guards, Charles Rotich and Joseph Langat, were killed during an armed robbery at Roret Farmers' Cooperative Society on November 19, 2024. Their families have filed constitutional petitions at the High Court in Kericho against police and prosecutorial authorities, seeking answers about the status of investigations into the killings.
Josphat Gichunge, a former Tigania East MP, was arrested on June 8 and is accused of duping land buyers out of more than Sh56 million through two separate schemes involving Diamond Property Merchants Ltd, in which buyers were not issued promised title deeds and land was transferred without their knowledge or consent.
Josphat Gichuge Mwirabua, a former Tigania East MP and ex-chairman of the Anti-Counterfeit Authority, has been arrested by the DCI over allegations of orchestrating land fraud schemes through Diamond Property Merchants (DPM) Ltd that resulted in losses exceeding Sh56 million. Dozens of investors lost money after being promised plots and projects that never materialized.
Former Tigania East MP Josphat Gichunge Kabeabea has been arrested by the DCI over allegations of defrauding land buyers of more than Ksh.56 million through fraudulent property deals involving plots sold through a company linked to him.
A worker at Tob Cohen's residence testified that on July 19, 2019, he last saw the Dutch businessman alive, and that Sarah Wairimu Kamotho later instructed him to tell others Cohen had travelled to Thailand for medical treatment. The worker also testified that Cohen had confided he was injured by Wairimu in a domestic dispute days before his death.
The Architectural Association of Kenya has condemned the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions' decision to charge all members of Nairobi City County's Urban Planning Technical Committee over the collapse of the South C Building, arguing that prosecutors should target only those who exercised final decision-making authority rather than professionals without such power.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has approved manslaughter charges against suspended Nairobi County Planning Chief Patrick Analo Akivaga and his successor Dominic Mutegi over the January 2 collapse of Manzil Towers building in South C that killed two security guards. Analo also faces charges of abuse of office and neglect of official duty, and investigators recovered more than Sh65 million in cash at his residence during a separate corruption probe.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has approved six charges against over 40 suspects in connection with the January 2026 South C building collapse that killed two people. Former Nairobi Urban Planning Chief Officer Patrick Analo faces abuse of office and neglect of official duty charges, while others including Daniel Alphonse Odhiambo, Gideon Chege Mwangf, Abdishakur Muse Mohamed and Yussuf Mohamed Yussuf will face manslaughter charges.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has approved prosecution of dozens of individuals, including senior public officials, developers, engineers and architects, over the January 2026 collapse of Manzil Towers in Nairobi's South C area. The office determined there is sufficient evidence and a realistic prospect of conviction against those implicated in the tragedy.
Kenya's National Transport and Safety Authority rolled out a minor traffic offences enforcement framework on June 1, 2026, allowing motorists to settle penalties via Police Notification of Traffic Offence without court appearance. The framework, developed with the National Police Service and other agencies, aims to enhance compliance, transparency and efficiency in enforcement.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations is appealing to the public to help identify a key person of interest in the ongoing investigation into the murder of Reverend Julius Ndumia Ngari, who was killed on May 3, 2026, in Nakuru North Sub-County. Two suspects, Felix Odinga Okumu and Berryly Nafua Atenyo, have been arrested and charged; the case is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on June 17.
A High Court judge has issued a conservatory order requiring the NTSA to keep detailed records of all payments made under the instant penalty system for traffic offences, which launched on June 1, 2026. The ruling does not halt enforcement but sets up a legal challenge ahead of a scheduled hearing on the matter.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested the Clerk of the Nyamira County Assembly over alleged procurement irregularities in the award of a tender for an office block construction to Jetta Builders Ltd, which was not the lowest evaluated bidder. The irregular award allegedly conferred a financial benefit of Ksh.30,187,396 to the contractor, resulting in a corresponding loss of public funds.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested Duke Simeon Onyari, Clerk of the Nyamira County Assembly, over procurement irregularities in the award of a Sh30 million office block tender. The tender was allegedly awarded to Jetta Builders Ltd despite the company not being the lowest evaluated bidder, and five other assembly officials have been summoned.
Milimani Chief Magistrate's Court rejected a bid by the Director of Public Prosecutions to terminate a case alleging that Honey Khatwani, a director of Oki General Trading Limited, stole Sh356.7 million from the company between January 2020 and June 2024. The magistrate ruled that the existence of a civil dispute does not justify withdrawing criminal proceedings, which will now proceed to full hearing.
A Milimani Chief Magistrate's court has declined the Director of Public Prosecutions' application to terminate a Ksh.356.7 million theft case against Honey Khatwani, director of Oki General Trading Limited, ruling that the grounds presented were not sufficiently established. Khatwani is accused of stealing the funds from the company between January 2020 and June 2024 and has denied the charges.
A Nairobi court has declined an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions to withdraw a criminal case against businessman Honey Khatwani, who is accused of stealing more than Sh356.7 million from Oki General Trading Limited.
Government data shows 10,581 child protection cases recorded between January 2025 and March 2026, with abandonment (6,820), abductions (1,952), and missing children (1,636) comprising the majority; about 2,328 children remain unaccounted for. Police records show fewer missing children cases and suggest public concern is driven by social media awareness rather than a surge in actual incidents.
Kenya's National Transport and Safety Authority will roll out a modernised enforcement framework for minor traffic offences from June 1, 2026, allowing motorists to receive Police Notifications of Traffic Offence via SMS and email, in some cases avoiding court appearance.
Kenya's Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has proposed a Sh33.4 billion allocation to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to address funding gaps ahead of the 2027 General Election, with funds designated for ballot papers, KIEMS kits, voter registration, transport, civic education, and poll officials.
Justice Bahati Mwamuye's recent decision in HSA, AMO, TA & Another Vs Attorney General addresses the prosecution of adolescents under the Sexual Offences Act. The judgment recognises the law's purpose in protecting minors while addressing concerns about the law's practical application and its blanket presumptions on adolescent behaviour.
Kenya's High Court has declared that criminalizing consensual and non-coercive relationships between adolescents violates constitutional protections including equality, dignity, privacy, health, education and the best interests of the child. The ruling, delivered in May 2026, overturns the blanket application of the Sexual Offences Act that previously made no distinction between exploitative abuse and consensual peer relationships.