Kenya has been ranked fourth among African countries for organised crime and money laundering according to the ENACT Africa Organised Crime Index 2025.
The country trails only the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, and Nigeria, and leads East Africa in cybercrime and financial crimes, reflecting its growing role as a regional hub for illicit financial flows.
Financial Crimes and ‘Wash-Wash’ Deals Driving Kenya’s Ranking
The ENACT report highlights that Kenya’s high ranking is largely due to money laundering, financial fraud, and wash-and-wash transactions, facilitated by criminal networks and state-embedded actors.
“The most pervasive criminal markets are financial crimes, human trafficking, non-renewable resource crimes, trade in counterfeit goods, and arms trafficking,” the report notes.
State-embedded actors remain the most influential criminal operators across Africa, while foreign criminal organisations and private military companies exploit regions of instability, fuelling organised crime.
In Kenya, these dynamics have enabled the country to become a key conduit for illicit funds flowing through the region.
Regional Criminality Patterns Across Africa
The Index also outlines distinct regional variations:
- East Africa leads in human trafficking, arms trafficking, and human smuggling.
- North Africa is dominated by financial crimes and the cannabis trade.
- Central Africa faces non-renewable resource crimes.
- West Africa struggles with cocaine trafficking.
- Southern Africa contends with wildlife trafficking.
“East Africa stands out for its high human trafficking, arms trafficking, and human smuggling scores,” the ENACT report emphasises. Geography, conflict, governance, and global trafficking routes strongly influence each region’s exposure to illicit markets.
Top African Countries in Organised Crime
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- South Africa
- Nigeria
- Kenya
- Libya
- Central African Republic
- Uganda
- Mozambique
- Sudan
- Somalia
Kenya’s ranking underscores growing concerns over financial crimes and organised criminal activity in the region, highlighting the urgent need for stronger regulatory oversight and enforcement.
