Kenya has been ranked 4th in terms of organised crime in Africa. A new report by the Africa Organised Crime Index says Nairobi follows the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Nigeria in the 2025 ENACT Africa Organised Crime Index.
The report also places East Africa as the highest-scoring region for overall criminality on the continent.
In the report, launched in Nairobi, Kenya’s 2025 score for criminality is 7.18 out of 10. The report further says that Nairobi recorded an above-average score in all 15 criminal markets assessed.
The assessment looked at human trafficking, human smuggling, heroin trade, cyber-dependent crimes and financial crimes, among others.
‘These markets are highly profitable and increasing in pervasiveness, driven by criminal networks and state-embedded actors whose influence is growing nationwide,’ says Eric Pelser, ENACT Programme Head for Institute for Security Studies.
Kenya’s ranking, the report adds, is aggravated by the expansion of internet connectivity.
‘This has profoundly affected criminal dynamics within Kenya and across the continent, providing opportunities for criminal groups to extend traditional markets such as human trafficking online, and to expand their operations into new and emerging threats, including online financial fraud and ransomware.’
The first ENACT Index was published in 2019.